Emotionally Handicapped
by Frolicking Bananas
Summary: When Jess returns to her hometown to capture a new serial killer, she meets up with some people that she'd rather not see. But what happens when she begins to fall for that certain someone...again? And is this new killer bad, or just mistaken? Revised SG
1. Indiana, Here We Come

**Okay, so this isn't exactly a brandy-new story. Its sort of a revision of Surprises Galore, but I changed a LOT, so I didn't just want to change the chapters in SG, since no one will probably ever look at them again. Hence, why I'm posting this. **

**The beginning is not all that different. I've introduced a new character, but you won't see much of a difference from SG. Yet. :D**

**Well, here it goes. Remember to review!**

- § -

"Ugh," I moaned as I heard my phone go off. I opened my eyes and squinted at the green glowing letter on my alarm clock. 3:06. Nice.

I rolled out of my bed and began the search for my phone. I located it under a pile of dirty clothes that I had meant to take to the Laundromat yesterday.

I flipped it open on the last ring. "Mastriani," I said into the phone.

Dr. Cyrus Krantz's voice rang in my ear. "Jessica, we have a situation," he said, all business. It probably had not even occurred to him that I had been sleeping.

Then again, he probably does not even need sleep, because I am becoming convinced that he is not human.

A situation. Right. That seems the word that they use constantly. Sometimes a 'situation' consists of a Special Agent losing his/her cell phone.

So much for being a professional.

"Yeah?" I said into the phone. "Well, what does this _situation _entail?"

He sighed into the phone. I could so tell that this was something he did not want to tell me, but absolutely had to. "We have a location on a serial killer. We need you to go to Indiana. Special Agent Towson will escort you."

It took me a second before what he said sunk in. "Wait," I said, my voice raising, "_what?_"

"We are sending you to Indiana, Jessica. I'm having Richard" - aka Special Agent Towson - "come over right now to escort you. We need you there as soon as possible."

Krantz, I wanted to say to him, _get with the times. Nobody says 'as soon as possible' anymore. Its ASAP. Come on, dude._

Of course, I said nothing like that to him. I was still too shocked as to what he wanted me to do. Out of all the times I have had to travel - and believe me, there have been quite a few - they have never sent me back to Indiana. They _knew_ that I could not face going back there.

This, you see, is why I protested so much.

"No, no, no, no, no, _no_," I said into the phone. "Dr. K, you _can't_ send me back there!"

"Jessica," he said, sounding a little worse for wear, "I know you have issues concerning the place, but -"

"Issues?" I echoed. "_Issues?_ Well, of course, I've got fucking issues. Who doesn't know that I have issues?" It was a rhetorical question, of course, but still.

"That is beside the point," he said. "You need to go back there. We need you there, Jessica. You are not on our payroll to dilly-dally."

Dilly-dally? Okay, I knew he was a nerd, but _come on_. 

"Well," I argued back hotly, "you said you already had a location on this SK" - aka Serial Killer - "so what do you need me for?"

"Well, we don't have an _exact_ location," he admitted. "That's where you come in."

I groaned. Great. _Just_ great.

I did not want to go back to Indiana. I _could_ not could back to Indiana. I could not subject myself to going back there, not after what had happened when I left. And I could most definitely not stand seeing _him_ again.

But I could see that I really had no choice in the matter. I was going, and there was not a damn thing I could do about it.

I sighed into the phone. "Fine," I muttered. "I'll be ready." And then I hung up.

And it was only a matter of minutes before Towson arrived at my door.

Opening my door, still a little bleary, I smiled at him. He came in and walked into the kitchen with me.

"So," he said, smiling softly at me, "you ready to go?"

I rolled my eyes. I could so tell this guy wanted to get in my pants. Not that I am vain or anything, but he was so obvious.

And I mean, its not exactly like he's ugly or anything. This guy is definitely easy on the eyes. And he's cut, too. You know, from what I've noticed in training and everything.

I know what you're thinking. Why don't I go out with him?

Well…I don't know. I can't really explain it. Maybe its because I still haven't gotten over the last guy I fell in love with.

And maybe because relationships between Special Agents was frowned upon.

But Towson really did not seem to care about that much. He'd already kissed me a few times. And I didn't kiss back. Much.

"Yeah," I said, "let me just get Kia ready."

Okay, maybe I neglected to explain who she is. Kia, I mean. Well, she's my daughter.

Yes, you read that right. My _daughter_.

And yes, I am fully capable of caring for another human being other than myself, thank you very much.

Who is the father? you ask? 

Well, let's just say it is someone I would definitely rather forget about.

She was still sleeping when I went into her bedroom. Well, it _was_ only about three-thirty in the morning. I mean, the only losers awake happen to be federal agents. And I was now one of those losers.

I smiled down at her in her bed, tucked in and sleeping peacefully. I did not have to wake her, just get her and bring her to the unmarked vehicle that was waiting outside for us.

I positioned my hand underneath her and carefully picked her up, resting her against my chest, so as to not wake her. She shifted a little on me and then plopped her thumb in her mouth.

I smiled to myself as I grabbed her blanket and a little pillow for the plane ride.

In the few minutes I had had before Towson arrived, I had thrown a bunch of clothes in a duffel bag and some for Kia, along with some things for her to do.

I went back into the kitchen, where Towson was sitting, drinking from a can of Coke he must have found in my fridge. I raised my eyebrow at him and he smiled innocently back at me.

"Go into my room," I whispered, so I would not wake Kia, "and get my duffel bag. You know, the blue one. And then grab Chigger and his leash."

He nodded, not asking any questions, and went to do what I asked. As he was doing that, I grabbed a coat from the closet and some shoes and walked out to the car that was still running outside.

I opened the back door and, as I figured there would be, there was a child seat already strapped in. Smiling to myself, and thanking Krantz or Towson or whoever had been thoughtful enough to do it, I strapped Kia in without once waking her up.

Oh yeah, I'm good.

Towson came out a few minutes later with the dog and my stuff. He put Chigger in the way back, along with my duffel bag. Chigger, I knew, would know enough not to bark or anything. I smiled as I realized he fell asleep in the back.

Richard smiled at me as he got in the driver's side. "So," he said softly, "all set?"

"One sec," I said, and ran back inside.

I grabbed my cell phone, which I realized I had left on my nightstand. Oh, that would have been real great, leaving my cell behind.

Then, as I was about to leave the room, I noticed a picture on the floor. Now, that was not unusual, considering I was not the neatest person out there.

It was what - or rather, who - was in the picture that made me stop.

And I realized I had not put it away after looking at it last night.

It was a picture of me. And the guy I used to love. We were both straddling his Indian - well, he was really doing the straddling, since my feet could not even reach the ground - and my arms were wrapped around his waist, my front pressed up against his back.

I looked so happy in the picture and so did he. _What,_ I found myself asking, _happened?_

I shook my head and grabbed the picture off of the floor, tucking it into the pocket of my leather jacket.

And then I headed out the door again.

Indiana, here we come.


	2. Service Partner Soon

"Jess…" Rob said, rolling over on top of me, but not crushing me. He was breathing on my neck and lightly kissing it. I felt completely blissful and actually happy for once in my life.

Then Rob picked his head up and said those words that every girl wants to hear.

"Jess, I love you."

I grinned and then planted a big wet one right on his lips. That kiss seemed to go on forever and ever and ever.

…That is until we pulled away to get some air.

My – our – breathing was a little ragged – okay, big understatement. However, I managed to get these words out, "I love you too, Rob."

He smiled and we kissed some more and before we knew it, we were under the sheets – alone in the house – and completely naked.

****

And I was fully prepared to do what I could so tell he wanted to. And we did. Do it, I mean.

And it was probably one of the best nights in my life.

I lifted my head up and looked around. _Oh,_ I realized. I was on a plane.

Towson was next to me and I felt his warm hand in mine. Even though I have been on a plane numbers of times, it still gave me the heebie jeebies.

Kia had her own seat to the left of me. She loved plane rides, unlike her mother, and always begged for the window seat. I always let her.

"You okay?" Richard asked.

I looked at him and gave him my best smile - which, I have to admit, was not all that great. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Which was the truth. Then.

At least until I realized why I was on the plane. And where, exactly, the plane was going.

I groaned. "Oh God…" I said, putting my head in my hands.

Rich took the hand that wasn't holding mine and rested it on my shoulder. "Hey, what's wrong? You feel sick?"

I shook my head. Surprisingly, I was feeling fine. Well, I mean, being on the plane was not bothering me. It was where the plane was headed that was. Bothering me, I mean.

"No," I answered. "I just…" Just what?

I could not really explain to Richard why I didn't want to go back to Indiana. I mean, the guy knew that I was from there - and from what they announced over the speaker, we were headed to my hometown, or somewhere near it at least - but he didn't exactly know why I had left and moved to Florida - where I had met him in the training facility.

And I couldn't tell him. That the fact that I didn't want to go back to Indiana was because I couldn't face my ex.

I mean, yeah, I was an FBI agent and everything, but I never said I wasn't a wimp. Well, when it comes to things like stopping a killer and everything, I'm pretty brave, I like to think. But when it comes to confronting the guy that I claimed to love - and who claimed to love me - I just felt like hiding.

Which, I guess, wasn't too professional of me.

"Just what?" Towson prompted.

"I don't know."

He smiled at me, moving his hand from my shoulder to cupping my face. _Oh great_, I thought_, a moment_.

Okay, so I was mean. So sue me.

"What is it, Jess? You can tell me."

The thing is, I knew I could tell him and he'd understand. But, well, I just didn't _want_ to tell him. Now was that so bad?

"It's nothing." And I attempted to turn my face away from his.

"Not nothing," he said, and, since he still had hold of my face, he turned it so I had to look at him. "What is it?"

"I guess…I just don't want to go back to Indiana, much less the place where I grew up."

He looked at me curiously. "Well, why not? What's wrong with it?"

I shrugged and attempted to remove his hand from my face. Getting the hint, he dropped it. Meanwhile, his other hand was still gripping my own. Which was uncomfortable, considering I could feel my hand sweating.

I shrugged again. "Lots of people I really don't want to see."

He nodded. I think he got the hint, since he dropped the subject altogether.

It was not long before we were landing. Thank God.

- § -

Krantz was there with a car as soon as we got off of the plane. I was kind of glad, because I didn't want to see anyone I recognized yet. Not that I really wanted to see them at _all_, but still. You know what I mean.

"Jessica." Krantz smiled. "Its nice to see your shining face today."

I just grimaced at him. He was sucking up. He knew how mad I was at him for making me come to _Indiana_, of all places. Not just Indiana, either, but the exact town that I grew up in.

I mean, you can see why I would be pissed at him.

Instead of yelling at him, like I wanted to do, I just hopped in the back with Kia and Chigger (who I could tell was mad at me after making him sit in a too-small pet-carrier with the cargo), while Towson went up front with Krantz.

"Now, Jessica," Krantz said, looking at me in the rearview mirror as he was backing up, "I booked a room for you and Richard at a Holiday Inn for a few nights."

I nodded, not really trusting myself to say anything.

Kia, who had not spoken a word since she woke up on the plane, asked, "Mommy, where are we going?"

I looked at her and smiled. "You," I said, "are going to stay with a friend of mine. Richard and I are staying at a hotel so we can work."

Okay, I know what you're thinking. Why did I bring my daughter to Indiana on this potentially dangerous assignment?

Well, its like this: I could not leave her in Florida. I mean, yeah, I could have gotten someone to watch her. But what if something happened while I was gone? I would not be able to stand that if something happened to her and I was all the way in Indiana. Its not like I could teleport myself all the way back to Florida. My powers were not _that_ awesome. No, I was limited to finding missing people.

"Who am I staying with?" she asked.

"Well," I said, thinking of how to reply to that. The truth was, I had no idea yet. They would probably put her in a safe house at Crane until I was done with this assignment. I wanted her to stay with me and definitely did not want to subject her to something like Crane Military Base, but it would be too dangerous to have her by my side.

"Jill," Krantz cut in for me.

I looked at him, shocked. "Jill? You mean…Smith? Special Agent Smith?"

He nodded. "Why, of course. Who else would I be talking about?"

I shook my head. This was too much to take in. Jill was in town? Did she happen to be on the same plane as us and I had no idea? Or…what? I was so confused.

Krantz, seeing my confusion, said clearly, "Special Agents Smith and Johnson are here. They have been staying at Crane for a while, so it will be them who will look after your daughter."

I nodded. This was good news. My daughter was not nearly as conniving as I was (and if you consider her age - a ripe old 2 years - then you can see why) so there was no problem with her escaping, like me. And besides, I trusted Allan and Jill. They would take good care of her.

"So where exactly are we headed right now?" I asked.

"Crane," Krantz and Towson said at the same time.

I groaned. Great. So we were going to go over the details of this particular serial killer, and then leave and I wouldn't be able to see my daughter for a while.

I just hoped she was braver with it than I was. Now I kind of knew how my own mother felt about leaving us - my brothers and I when we were kids, I mean. Except, well, I didn't make Kia and I matching dresses. Well, if I could, that is.

And that's exactly what happened. As soon as we got to Crane, Jill and Allan came in the conference room. Jill smiled down at Kia and said, "Come with me, sweetie."

Kia, you could tell, _so_ didn't want to. "I'm coming," I said and got up.

"Jess-" Towson started, but I cut him off with, "Rich, shut up."

I went over to Kia, scooped her up in my arms and followed Jill into the room that she would be staying in for a while.

"Anything else she might need?" Jill asked me as I was looking around the room. Its funny, the room was almost _exactly_ how mine looked when I had stayed there. You know, before I had run away to save Sean.

There was a huge plasma screen TV, most likely with HD, a nice laptop on the bedside table. An Xbox 360 AND a Wii sat next to the TV. There was also a big bed with a flowered comforter and a very comfy looking pillow and a mini-fridge stocked with as much junk food as a kid could ever want.

I admit it, I was jealous.

I thought it was perfect. You know, if I was staying there with her. Which I wasn't.

I sighed. "Yeah, I think this is fine. You just have to check up on her in the middle of the night and take her to the bathroom. She tends to…" I trailed off, since there was no need to finish that sentence.

Jill nodded. "She'll be fine here, Jess."

I sighed again. "I know. I just…I'm gonna miss her."

Jill smiled at me and laid a hand on my shoulder. Usually that kind of thing bothers me, but it was somehow comforting. "I'll be with her most of the time, Jess. You can call my phone whenever you want to talk to her."

I nodded. That was good news.

Then I went over to Kia, who was already absorbed in a computer game. "Kia?"

She looked up at me and smiled. "Yeah, Mommy?"

I leaned over and hugged her. "You have to stay here with Jill for a while, okay? Jill is a very nice lady and she'll give you whatever you want, I promise. You just have to listen to her, too, okay? You can't go running off whenever you want to."

She nodded when I let go. "I know, Mommy."

"Okay." I felt tears welling up in my eyes. Great. And I so thought I wasn't a sappy mother. "Well, I guess…I have to go. But…if you _ever_ need to talk to me, sweetie, tell Jill and she'll call me, okay?"

She nodded again and held her arms out for another hug. I laughed and hugged her, kissing her on the forehead.

"Be good now, okay?" I said as I stood in the doorway.

"Am I ever anything but?" she asked innocently.

Oh yeah, she was definitely my daughter.

I laughed and left the room. It was sad, leaving her like that. But I knew she was in good hands and that comforted me.

I walked back to the conference room by myself, since Jill was staying with Kia. Its not like Jill had to be in on the scoop of this assignment, considering there would be no need for her. No, this was strictly a job for Lightning Girl.

Unfortunately.

Rich, I noticed as soon as I got back, was leaning back in his chair, looking a little put out. That was probably from me snapping at him. I sort of felt bad, but…not enough to apologize.

"So," Krantz said, reaching behind him and extracting a gigantic file from his briefcase. He then plopped said file down on the table in front of him. "This is what we have on this guy." He opened the folder and pulled out several copies of what must be this SK's file. He then passed the file to Towson, who passed it on to me, and then I passed one to Allan.

I swear, it was like elementary school all over again.

The meeting was roughly an hour long, detailing the victims and murders of this dude. He was twenty-seven years old, Caucasian, has killed over twenty people (not one of his victims has survived), and is wanted in twelve U.S. states, not to mention parts of Canada.

Real winner we have on our hands.

I looked at the picture of the guy. Its funny, because when you look at an actual serial killer, most of them look so innocent. None of them ever look like they could have committed the crimes that they did.

And that, my friends, is why I'm going to give you a cliché: Looks can be deceiving. Very much so.

The guy was pretty hot-looking, I must say. He had a boyish looking face, which made him look younger than his twenty-seven years. To me he only looked about twenty-one at the oldest. In the picture he had longish black hair and these piercing green eyes. I swear, if I was actually looking into them, instead of a picture, I could have sworn they would be able to see into my soul. And, if you didn't already figure this out, that is kind of creepy.

You could not see past his shoulders in the picture, considering it was a face shot (not really a mug shot to me, since he managed to look good in it). But even if I couldn't see the rest of his body, I knew he must have some really defined biceps and a killer six-pack.

Not that this made me want to go and set the guy free. No, I wanted this guy locked up just as much as the next person. But still, you can't help admiring a face like that.

But all in all, I prefer men. Not pretty boys, which this one happened to be.

Although, look where that got me.

But I could tell that this guy used his looks to his advantage (not really all that uncommon with men these days), to lure innocent women into his lair.

Because, as it happens, most of his victims happened to be of the female persuasion.

Then again, no surprise there.

Krantz went on to explain that they have a general location on him. And, as it happens, its in southern Indiana. That's really comforting. That there's a serial killer running amok around here. All of the innocent women and little kids…

I shuddered. I couldn't think about that.

Finally we all left the conference room. There was an extra unmarked car (which they seem to have an endless supply of) that Towson and I took.

We were on our way to the hotel and, as it happens, passed by my old high school. Good ol' Ernie Pyle High. Such fond memories. Not.

I glanced at the set of bleachers that Ruth and I were huddling under that fateful day…The one that resulted in me being able to find missing people in my sleep. And sometimes even while I am awake.

And then we were pulling onto a familiar street, passing a Dunkin' Donuts. And that's when I stared in horror at Towson.

Because he pulled up to Wilkin's Auto Body.

"What are you DOING?" I practically yelled.

He jumped in his seat and looked over at me, shocked. "J-Just taking the car to get checked. What's…what's wrong?"

I shook my head furiously. "Why? What's wrong with the car?" My voice was still considerably louder than his.

"Well, the service engine soon light is on. I figured while we're over here, I might as well stop in to get it checked out…"

"But-" And then I stopped talking.

Because who should happen to walk out of the auto body place just then (the one I have had such _fond_ memories of)?

Yeah, that would be my ex.

**Oooh, I'm evil, aren't I? Hehe. Please review. I'd appreciate it VERY much.**


	3. Confrontation

**Sorry for the wait. I've been trying to finish the story up before posting a lot of chapters, just in case I need to change something. And, well, school has been gettng me down. Essay this, essay that. Give me a break, will ya? Stupid teachers.**

**Anyway, remember to review.

* * *

**

He couldn't see me, of course, with the tinted windows. But I knew he would see me soon enough, when Towson rolled down that window to talk to him.

Oh God, let me just disappear.

But of course, my special powers couldn't be useful then. I'd so rather be able to disappear at will than be able to find missing people.

I turned my head to look out my window, hoping that my hair would hide my face. It was longer now. My hair, I mean. It was almost down to my shoulders.

Rob tapped on Towson's window and he rolled it down. "What's the problem here?" Rob asked.

I couldn't tell if he was looking at me or not. I really hoped not.

I shuddered when I heard his voice. His voice was so…intoxicating. God, it felt great to hear it after so long. And yet…not so great. Now I would never get that sound out of my head.

"I don't know," Towson said. Oh yeah, did I mention that he knew practically _nothing_ about cars? Yeah, I know.

In fact, when he first found out that I rode a motorcycle, he flipped out. Like, yelled at me and everything. _Are you CRAZY? _he had asked me. _You could die on that thing!_

As if. I mean, you could totally die in a car, too. It wasn't that different.

And seriously, the guy practically had a coronary every time he saw me riding my bike. He had once even asked me if I rode with Kia. My eyes had widened at that. I couldn't believe that he would think that I was that stupid. Of course I wouldn't take my two year old kid on a motorcycle. I would wait until she was at least five.

"The service engine soon light is on," Towson went on. "I was driving by, so I figured we'd stop."

'We'…GOD. WHY did he have to draw attention to me?

Because even as he had said it, I could feel Rob's gaze flickering over to me.

And then his voice saying incredulously, "_Mastriani?_"

Oh yeah, good job, Richard.

I had to look at him now. He knew it was me, so I couldn't pretend it wasn't me. And plus Towson had asked, completely confused, "You know her?" Not known for subtlety, that one is.

I sighed and turned my head in his direction. And had to stifle a gasp. Because, seriously? Rob looked good. No, better than good. He looked delicious. Standing there on the side of the car, the sun catching his face and eyes at the right angle. His hair still a little too long, just like I remembered. And God, those eyes…I felt myself being lost in them once more.

"Jess?" Towson asked.

I shook my head and looked at him, then back at Rob. "Hey," I said meekly.

He didn't even smile. He just stared at me, like I was some sort of apparition. Like I was a ghost.

And who knows? Maybe I did seem like a ghost to him. I had been gone a while, after all.

Towson seemed to notice Rob's sudden paralysis, since he looked at him funny and said, "You okay, man?"

Rob shook his head and managed to say, "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. I just…God."

I looked at him cautiously. Would he spill the beans to Towson? About me and everything? Or would he just fix our car and then forget about me?

Somehow I didn't think any of those would happen. Or at least I hoped so.

Rob shook his head again and said, "Pop the hood." Towson didn't hesitate.

As Rob was under the hood checking things out, I let out the breath I had been holding. This was really nerve-racking.

Rich looked over at me. "Okay," he said, "what's going on?"

I shook my head. "Nothing," I said.

He rolled his eyes. "Right. Nothing. Well, nothing wouldn't have made you react like that. So who is this guy?"

"Just…someone I used to know. Now will you drop it?"

"No, I will not drop it. I want to know, Jess."

I gave him a hard look and said firmly, "I don't care. Its in the past and I'd rather it stay there."

I seemed to give this a thought. "Hm, okay," he said, and I thought that was the end of it. But then he had to go, "Maybe I should just ask him."

I inhaled a sharp breath. "Don't you dare," I said, my teeth gritted.

"Well, then tell me who he is."

I sighed. "His name is Rob Wilkins, okay? I…he's my ex. Better?"

"Yeah," he said. "That wasn't so hard, now was it?"

I shrugged. Actually, it was, but I didn't feel like saying anything.

"So how'd you guys break up?" he asked.

I groaned. "Rich, shut up. I'm not talking to you." Childish, I know. But seriously. He was prying in business he shouldn't have been. He should be lucky I hadn't hit him. Yet.

"Well, come on," he said, "we're partners. Shouldn't I be privy to this information?"

"Not," I growled, "if I don't want to tell you."

"Well-" he started, but Rob's voice cut him off.

"Start it up," he said. Towson did. Then Rob shut the hood and came around to his window again. "Nothing really wrong. I just need to replace a fuse, which should take five minutes."

Rich nodded. "Okay," he said.

Then, as Rob went back into the shop (to get some fuses, I assumed), Rich started getting out of the car.

"What are you doing?" I asked suspiciously.

"Going to get a donut. I'll be back in a few minutes." And then he was gone.

Great, I thought. Now I'd be left alone for Rob to start with me. 

And start with me he did. As soon as he noticed Towson was no longer in the car.

"Where's your boyfriend?" he asked. His tone wasn't exactly unfriendly, but it wasn't nice either.

"He," I said, trying to make my voice normal-sounding, "is not my boyfriend."

"Oh, really?" Rob asked, raising an eyebrow. "Then what is he?"

"My partner."

"Partner?" he asked confusedly, and then his face darkened. "You didn't."

I didn't even pretend to not know what he was talking about.

I looked into his face and noticed a certain emotion flowing through his eyes, something I couldn't quite pinpoint.

I sighed. "I did."

"Why?" he asked.

"Rob," I said as sternly as I could, which, mind you, wasn't really much. "Don't go there."

"Why, Jess? Did they finally make you crack? Is that why you left?"

"Rob," I warned, "_don't_."

But he didn't care. "Why did you do it? God, I…does your family know you're back?" Then he stopped and looked at me curiously. "Why _are_ you back?"

I didn't get a chance to answer before he sneered, "Right. Of course. Your job. Couldn't be because you actually _wanted_ to come back."

"Rob," I said again, looking him dead in the face. "Fix the car and then leave me alone."

He was about to say something in response to that, then he closed his mouth, realizing that I was serious. "Fine. Whatever. Can't blame me for wanting to know why my girlfriend ran away without so much as a word to me."

I don't know what made me do it. Maybe it was the 'g' word. But whatever it was, I found myself leaning across the seats and grabbing onto the front of his shirt. "You have _no_ idea what I've gone through. So don't give me that."

"Jess," he regarded me calmly. Calmer than I figured he would, what with me having a handful of his shirt. "I would have, if you had told me."

I let go of his shirt then and retired to my seat. "Just go fix the car."

"Jess-"

"_Go_."

And he did.

Towson came back then and, having noticed our little discussion, asked, "What was that all about?"

"Nothing, Rich."

"Didn't seem like nothing."

I didn't answer. I figured it would be best just to ignore him.

"Come on, Jess," he said, laying a hand on my shoulder. "Can you blame me for wondering?"

"Yes," I said easily, "I can."

He sighed and took his hand off of my shoulder. Which gave me the strength back to do what I needed.

"Listen, Rich," I said, "we're partners. We may be friends, too, but that's it. I don't have to tell you every little detail about my past. Its better left in the past, anyway. Okay? So if we're gonna work together, you have to stop bugging me about things I don't want to tell you. Capiche?"

Rich looked at me. I don't know what he saw on my face, but whatever it was, it made him nod and say, "Okay. Fine. I was just…I wanted to help you."

"Yeah, well," I grumbled. "I don't _need_ help."

And that's when Chigger woke up in the back and started barking. I turned around and hissed, "Chigger! Shut UP!"

The dog promptly did so after Rich gave him one of his donuts.

Rob came back over with the bill. Towson just handed him a credit card. Rob looked at me, raised his eyebrow again, and walked away.

"I-" Towson started.

"Don't," I said sullenly.

Rob then came back with our receipt and handed it to Towson. "Nice meeting you," he said to him, even though I had never introduced them. Its better that they don't get chummy.

Towson nodded, "You too, you too."

Then Rob turned those foggy blue eyes to me. "And Jess…it was nice seeing you."

Somehow I doubted that. Rob nodded to himself and then walked away again.

Towson looked over at me as he turned on the car again. I could tell he wanted to ask something, but then he sighed and said, "Okay, okay. No questions. I get it."

He set the receipt down on the dashboard. But that was when I noticed a piece of paper underneath it that wasn't there before.

I picked it up curiously and read it. _Jess,_ it read_, I can see you don't want to talk to me right now. But in the off-chance that you ever do, can you give me a call? _And his number was scrawled there. A cell phone number, I guess. _Or, if you prefer the old-fashioned way, you can stop by my place._

His place? Was he…was he still living with his mother? I didn't think so…I thought Krantz had mentioned that she moved to Florida with Gary…

Unless Rob still had the house after she left. It _was_ a nice, quaint house. I wouldn't want to get rid of it either.

Then Towson went, "Jess, are you okay?"

And that was when I realized that I was crying.

Great. Just perfect.


	4. YouKnowWho

I couldn't decide what to do. Was I supposed to call him and go talk to him? Or should I just ignore it and pretend I never saw the note?

Part of me desperately wanted to see him, talk to him…maybe kiss him. But then the other part of me flared up in defiance. _No,_ my head screamed, _he's the one who made it happen! It's his fault._

But was it really? Could I really lay all the blame for what happened to us on him?

No, I realized. I couldn't. As much as I wanted to pass off the blame to someone else, find a scapegoat, I couldn't. I knew it was just as much my fault as it was his. If I wasn't so focused on that _stupid_ threat…

God. I am an idiot. It's a wonder the FBI actually wants me.

Towson and I went back to the hotel to get some rest and read over the serial killer's file again - not necessarily in that order. It was not long after we got back that Towson passed out on the bed, Chigger sleeping peacefully beside him (the hotel had a strict no-pet policy, but after we showed them our badges, they seemed to relent). The _only_ bed in the room, mind you.

Yeah, nice, right? Krantz just so happened to get us a room with only _one bed_. And _HE_ - Krantz - is the one who doesn't condone romantic relationships between partners. How hypocritical is that?

Great, I thought, _the stupid armchair it is for me._

I was not even in the least bit tired. So I figured I would go for a walk. There was a park nearby that I used to go to when I was younger, whenever I felt the need to be away from everyone. It was kind of secluded, since there was rarely anyone else there.

I sat down on a bench near some swings for a while, just thinking. I thought about my family, what I was going to do about them. Should I go and visit them? What would they say if they saw me again? Would they even welcome me back? I'm sure they were all really mad at me for leaving without so much as a warning. And Rob, would he tell them that he saw me? I really hoped not.

And Ruth. What about her? She was my best friend, and I left her in the dark, too. At the time, when everything was happening, I had desperately wanted to tell her everything. The same with Rob. But I couldn't. It put them at risk, too. If I told them, and someone found out…

Let's just say I would be burdened with guilt for the rest of my life, if I wasn't killed first.

I looked at my watch and I realized a lot of time had gone by while I was sitting there. I did not really want to go back yet. I was still wide awake. But what else was there to do besides sit and think? Its not like I accomplished much in the thinking aspect of it. If anything, I made it all worse.

I started walking back to the hotel, when my phone started ringing. I opened it and answered, and it was Jill. "Hi, Jess," she said rather cheerfully, "I just thought you'd want to talk to Kia."

"Yes," I said eagerly, "put her on."

Somehow, in the midst of thinking about the whole Rob thing and this assignment, I had forgotten about my daughter. What a great parent I am.

I realized, as Kia got on the phone, that talking to her was just what I needed to calm down.

"Hi, Mommy!" she greeted me happily.

"Hi, Kia. How are you, honey? Are they treating you okay there?"

She giggled. "Of course! I love it here! I get to play games all day and I get to eat whatever I want. I mean, they make me eat vegetables and stuff, too, but I get good food, too."

I laughed. "That's great, sweetie. I'm glad you're having a good time."

"What about you, Mommy?"

"What about me?"

She giggled again. "How are you?"

I shrugged, despite the fact that she couldn't see it. "I'm good. I think Chigger misses you, though."

"I miss him, too. Its hard to sleep without my doggy."

I tried not to laugh. Ever since Kia was born, Chigger has slept near her. When I moved her from her crib to a bed, he slept in her bed every night.

Chigger, however, seems to have found a new sleeping buddy. In the form of my partner.

I could hear her yawn, even over the phone. "Okay, honey," I said, "I think you should go to sleep now."

"Aww, Mommy. I don't want to!"

"Kia, you've had a long day. You can play more games tomorrow."

She sighed. "Fine. I love you, Mommy."

I smiled. "I love you, too, Kia. I'll talk to you in the morning."

And then we hung up. I missed her already. It would be weird to sleep somewhere without her there.

While I was talking to her, I had wandered past the hotel and onto a rather familiar road. And then, as I kept walking, I realized that Chick's was only a half mile away. So I kept walking.

When I reached the biker bar, I noticed that there were a hefty sum of bikes parked outside. But as I scanned over them, I noticed the absence of one in particular. While I should have been relieved at this prospect, I was somewhat disappointed.

I walked into the bar. As soon as I walked in, all eyes were on me. I guess a woman dressed like I was (still in my FBI attire) does not often walk into a bar like this - or a bar at all.

I sat down on one of the stools in the front of the bar. Chick came over. And when he recognized me, he gave a cry of surprise, and then happiness.

"Little lady," he said - somehow I never took offense to it when he said it. "Its good to see you! Where've ya been? What're ya doing back in town?"

"Woah," I said with a smile, "slow it down there."

He laughed and said, "Well, I'm glad to see ya. I tell ya, ever since ya left, Wilkins has been this whiny little thing. Its embarrassin', I tell ya."

I was surprised to hear this news. And yet…not so surprised. It was weird. "Really?" I asked lightly.

"Well, 'nough 'bout him. How are ya, honey?" And then he stopped himself. "Where're my manners? Can I get ya something t' drink?"

"Yeah, just a Diet Coke," I responded and he came back with one pretty quickly. Then he repeated, "How're ya?"

I shrugged. "As well as I can be, I guess."

He cocked his head to the side. "Eh? What's that supposed t' mean?" He looked me over then. "An' what's with them clothes?"

I looked down at myself and noticed how ridiculous I looked in this place. I shrugged again. "Job."

He raised his eyebrows. "Job? What type o' job would that be?"

I didn't want to tell him. He would only react like Rob did, but I suspected worse. "You know," I said vaguely. And then when he stared at me blankly I sighed and pulled out my badge. I held it up for him to see.

His eyes widened in shock. "No…" he trailed off. "What're ya doin' workin' with them? I though' ya hated 'em."

"I did," I said, "but…people change, I suppose. They were there for me when I was going through a tough time."

He looked at me knowingly. "That why ya left?"

I shrugged. I didn't want to get into specifics. "Sorta."

He shook his head. "I don't think I'll ever understand ya, honey. Yer one strange gal."

And that was when you-know-who walked in.

No, not Voldemort. Although, he would have been more favorable than the man who did walk through the doors of Chick's Biker Bar right then.

Yeah, you guessed it. Mr. Wilkins himself.

And let me just say, he was mighty surprised to see me.

"Mastriani, what-" he cut himself off as he took the stool next to me. "You're gonna keep surprising me like this, aren't you?"

I shrugged (I seemed to be doing a lot of shrugging), and kept myself from looking at him. "I didn't know you were coming here."

He shook his head. "What…" He didn't finish his sentence.

"What can I get ya, Wilkins?" Chick asked him.

"Just a beer, thanks," he said politely and Chick went to go grab one.

I could feel Rob looking at me. I didn't really expect this. First actually coming here, and then Rob showing up. I probably _should_ have expected it, but I didn't.

"Jess…" he murmured. Still, I didn't look at him. I felt that if I did, I wouldn't be able to be as calm as I was being at that moment. And I'd probably lose myself in his eyes, as I was so accustomed to doing.

"What?" I asked, rather impolitely.

But it didn't seem to faze him. "I'm just…still shocked, I guess. Why…can I ask why you're back? Not that I'm objecting or anything, but…"

"It isn't obvious?" I asked.

Then Rob laughed. Not a humorous one, but more a 'oh-yeah-I'm-an-idiot' type of one. "Right. Your new job. Of course. And why were you sent here, again?"

I took a sip of my Diet Coke as Chick set down Rob's beer. Once he did that, he walked away to talk to some other guys, no doubt trying to give Rob and I some 'alone time'. Huh. Well, I didn't really want that. I would rather talk to Chick.

"That information is confidential," I said.

He snorted. "Right. Of course. Confidential." He took a swig of his beer.

"So," he continued. "Where's the boyfriend?"

I rolled my eyes, even though he probably couldn't see it, because I was still purposefully not looking at him. "He's not my boyfriend."

He laughed, but again, it wasn't because something was funny. "Right. Well, where's the not-boyfriend, then?"

I shrugged. "At the hotel sleeping."

"Hm," he said. "And does he know that his partner is at a biker bar?"

I shrugged again. "No, probably not."

"Oh, what an honest relationship," he scoffed.

I counted to ten in my head, so I could calm myself down. Not an easy feat. God, he could be so _infuriating_ sometimes.

I didn't say anything in reply. I just ignored it. Rob seemed to realize that I wasn't in a good mood, so he stopped with the teasing (if that's even what you could call it - maybe he was purposely being rude).

"Jess," Rob said suddenly. There was something in his voice, I couldn't really pinpoint it. But whatever it was, it made me turn to look at him.

And in his eyes, I saw pain. Yes, pain. Sadness. Loneliness. And…something resembling love.

"I…" he sighed. "I'm sorry. For…how I'm treating you. And…about how things turned out for us. God knows I never wanted this to happen…"

I guess he was waiting for me to say something. But what could I say? 'Oh, me too, Rob, me TOO! I want you so bad. I want you back! Take me back! Let's go make sweet love right now, on the bar floor, with everyone watching us!'

Yeah, no. I have more dignity than that.

"Yeah, well," I said, turning away from him again and staring at the bar counter, "shit happens."

Oh yes, I am the master of suaveness.

Rob coughed and then cleared his throat beside me. "So," he said.

"So," I mimicked.

"So…where've you been?" he asked. I could feel his eyes on me and it was making me uncomfortable.

Should I tell him? I didn't think I should, just in case he ever decided to come after me when I left. Not that I really thought he would. Against my better judgement, I muttered, "Florida."

He raised his eyebrows. "Florida? Wow. So what've you been doing there?"

I shrugged. "Working."

"That's it?" he asked. "Working?"

"In case you haven't noticed," I said rather sarcastically, "I'm not a very exciting person anymore, if I ever was."

Rob laughed. "Are you kidding? You were the girl that was always busting people out of situations. A cheerleader who cared nothing for you. A boy who was a royal pain in the ass. A Jewish kid who was being persecuted and who you had never met. If that's not excitement, I don't know what is."

"Well, obviously your definition of excitement is a little misconstrued."

"What are you talking about? I know you secretly loved doing that stuff. I mean, yeah, I could tell some of those things scared you, but in the end, you enjoyed the thrill of it."

"No," I said, even though he was totally right. "I enjoyed the fact that I survived all of my stupid rescue missions."

That was when Rob put a hand on my shoulder. For some reason, that made me turn to look at him. And on his face was concern. He was concerned about me. But why?

"Jess," he said, "what's happened to you?"

**Dun dun _dun_. **

**So, what'd you all think? Like it, love it, hate it? Let me know, in the form of a review. Constructive criticism is always welcome. As are praises and 'you're so awesome's. :D**

**Thanks for reading.**


	5. Rejection

What's happened to me? God, what a question. There were so many things I just wanted to blurt out, just to see his reaction. What would he say if he knew? Knew _everything_. Down to who Kia's father is? 

I turned away from him again. I couldn't stand his fog-colored eyes, the intensity of his gaze on me.

So what I said next was to protect me from melting in front of him. But it probably just made everything worse. "What do you care?" I snapped.

"What do _I_ care?" he repeated, but not necessarily in a nice tone. It was not mean. It was more incredulous.

"You know what? I think I've about had enough. I'm outta here."

As I stood up to leave, his hand wrapped around my wrist. _Oh, God, he's touching me_, was all I could think as I just stood there, like an idiot.

"Not so fast," he said and I was forced to meet his gaze once again. "What do you mean, what do I care? How can you say that? After all we've been through together?"

I tried to turn away from him. But his other hand shot out and held my face so I couldn't look away.

"Jess," he said. That's it. Just my name.

And then more came after.

"Of course I care. I only…I left you alone because that's what I thought you wanted. I wasn't ignoring you."

"Well," I said bitterly, trying to remove my wrist from his grasp, "maybe you should have asked me what I wanted first."

"But that's the thing," he replied, getting the hint and releasing my wrist. His other hand was still holding my face. The hand that had freed my wrist came to my face as well and he shifted the hand that was first there so his hands were cupping my face. It was sweet, almost tender. For a second, I thought he might kiss me. And for a second, I wanted him to.

"You wouldn't let me," he continued. "I tried so many times, but you kept pushing me away. So I did what I thought was best. I left you alone."

He gently ran his thumbs across my cheeks and I realized I was crying. _Oh, this is just fabulous_.

"And then I came to check up on you a couple weeks later and I found out you had left. Your mother blamed me. She thought that you had run away with me. But obviously that wasn't true."

His gaze, if possible, increased in intensity. "Jess, why _did_ you leave?"

And, as luck has it, my phone started ringing then. Saved by the bell. Er, ring.

Robs hands dropped away from my face. I guess he sensed that he wouldn't get it out of me.

I wiped my face off with the sleeve of my jacket. Then I pulled my phone out and answered it.

"Jess!" came Towson's voice. "Where are you?"

"At a bar," was what I told him. I didn't even think before I said that, although I probably should have.

"A _what_?" he asked incredulously. "Why are you in a _bar_? Are you drinking?"

"Oh yeah," I said back sarcastically. "I'm getting drunk on Diet Coke. You know, its alcohol content is really up there, along with Sprite and its other compatriots."

"I don't need your sarcasm, Jessica," he said. God. _Jessica_. Only Krantz calls me that.

"Well, whatever. I was just leaving anyway. I'll be back in a bit." And then I hung up.

And then I left Chick's, without even saying goodbye to anyone. A bitter end to a bitter day.

- § -

"But why were you in a bar if you weren't drinking?" Towson asked yet again. He even had to check my breath to make sure I wasn't drinking. God, what a prude.

I shrugged and plopped down on the bed. Maybe if I claimed it now I could get it for the night. Chigger woke up momentarily and laid his head on my lap, then fell back to sleep. Huh. Must be the life.

"It was a place I used to hang out at when I was in high school."

Towson's eyes widened. "You used to hang out in a _bar_ in _high school_?"

I laughed. "I never drank there. My boyfriend-" I just hope Towson didn't realize that that boyfriend was Rob, not that I had any others in high school "-was good friends with the owner, so we'd hang out with him." Seeing his disapproving glance, I added, "Hey, Chick is a great guy. Saved my ass a couple times too."

He rolled his eyes and sat down next to me. "Sounds like you needed a lot of saving then."

"Well," I said and shrugged, "I was pretty reckless in those days."

"Hm," he said, "so I've been told."

I looked over at him, curious. "What's that supposed to mean? Wait," I said, realization dawning on me, "has Krantz been telling you about me?"

He smiled. "A little. Just about your various spur-of-the-moment rescue missions."

"Great. What else has he been telling you?"

"Just that you were very careless, but you have a big heart and you're a bit devious, too."

"Devious?" I said questioningly. "Did Krantz really call me devious?"

He laughed. "Hate to say it, but he did."

I shuddered. _Devious_. Was I really devious? Maybe a little sly, but…ah, whatever.

Towson smiled at me and laid his hand over one of mine. "Jess," he said, misunderstanding the expression on my face, "whatever he's told me doesn't change my opinion about you."

And then, of course, he leaned in and kissed me. And, okay, I kissed him back. Hey? It feels nice to be liked by someone. Even if its Towson. So, okay. I don't really like the guy. He's, you know, hot and all, but…he's just not my type, I guess. I'm more into the hog-riding, leather-jacketed, fog-colored eyed guys. They just don't seem to like me too much.

Okay, well they did. One did anyway. But I fucked that up immensely.

But seriously. Towson? Yeah, other than his kissing skills, I wasn't really too into him. So that was why I pulled away from him.

He seemed confused as to why I did so. "What's wrong?" he asked. His lips looked puffy from us kissing. I wondered what mine looked like.

I shook my head. "Towson…Rich. We can't keep going on like this. Okay? I don't…I don't like you like that. We're partners. That's it."

He narrowed his eyes. "It's because of that guy, isn't it? The guy we saw today at the auto body place? He was your ex, you said. You still love him, or something. Is that it?"

I had to will myself not to roll my eyes. It was hard not to. "Rich, he has nothing to do with this. I've never liked you like that. Maybe an attraction, but that's obviously not enough. I mean, come on. What do we have in common besides our job? Nothing."

He opened his mouth to say a rebuttal, but then shut it - I guess realizing that I was right. "Well," he said, "so what? What's that saying? Opposites attract."

"Rich," I said, trying to keep my tone from sounding patronizing. "I. Don't. Like. You. Can you please get that through your head? I never have and I never will. I'm sure there are plenty of other girls out there that would love to be with you."

"But I want to be with _you_," he said, his voice unbearably soft.

I kept myself from groaning in frustration. "Look, Rich, we're partners. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less. I don't think I could ever be capable of loving you, okay?"

I know I was being harsh. But seriously. He just would not get it. I didn't like him. At all. Maybe I liked how he looked. But that was about it.

But he didn't drop it. "I know its because of that guy. Ever since you saw him you've been acting weird." He paused, then looked at me, as if he just had an epiphany. "Wait," he said, "is that…that guy. He's Kia's father, isn't he?"

I swear, I nearly dropped dead right there. Damn! Why did he have to guess that?

I tried to lie. "No, of course not. What are you talking about?"

He narrowed his eyes at me again. "He so is!" If it was a different situation and he said something like, 'he so is!' I would have laughed in his face. But considering the circumstances, I didn't. Laugh in his face, I mean. "You're lying, Jess, I can tell. What is it, he doesn't know? You've never told him? Does he even know _you_ have a daughter?"

I let my groan out this time. I jumped off the bed and started pacing the length of the room. Which wasn't much, so I had to turn around pretty quickly.

"No, okay? He doesn't know. And I don't plan on telling him, okay, Rich? He doesn't need to know. It would just be making things harder on both of us if I told him. And," I said, spinning around to face him, "don't you _dare_ think about telling him. I swear to God, if you do-"

He put his hands up in surrender. "Hey, okay, I get it. I won't tell him. Why would you think I'd do that? That's up to you whether you want to tell him or not. Although," he added, "I think you should tell him. I mean, you may be right about you both being better off, but still. If I had a kid out there somewhere, I'd want to know about it."

"Well," I said bitterly, "we're not talking about you, Rich."

"Jess," he said, "seriously. Now that I think about it, I really think you should tell him. Besides, in a couple of years, what is Kia going to say? She's going to want to know who her father is."

I shut my eyes, trying to ward everything off. It wasn't working. Because, the truth was, he was right. I had thought about these things many times. But I just didn't think I could handle telling Rob about Kia. What would he say? What would he think? Especially about me hiding it from him for this long? Of course he'd be mad at me. That wasn't what I was worried about, though. It was the fact that he could possibly turn away from me and want nothing to do with Kia and I at all.

That would be the worst.

I sighed. "Okay," I said, a little shakily, "I'll think about it."

Towson, seeing that that was probably the best he was going to get, nodded. Then he said, "You should probably get some rest. I'll start on the assignment while you're sleeping."

I nodded, content with this situation. I changed into some pajamas in the bathroom and then cuddled up next to Chigger on the bed.

And that was when the dream started.

**Review, please!**


	6. Weird Dreams

_"Hey," Ruth said, dropping off yet another package from Rosemary. Ruth, understanding that I wanted to be alone, slinked back down the stairs and back to her own house. _

_I opened the package and looked at the child. It was a girl, and from what Rosemary had written, she was five when she was taken from her own backyard. The town she had lived in was not even a bad neighborhood. It was a typical Stepford Wives type of neighborhood, where nothing bad every happened. The girl, Kira, was the first and only kidnapping ever reported there. In fact, she was pretty much the first and only crime reported there. Talk about freaky._

_And this was a more recent kidnapping, actually. She was kidnapped two weeks ago. And from her birthdate, I could tell that her birthday had passed after she was kidnapped. So she was really six now. Huh. What a way to spend your birthday._

_As I was thinking about this girl, I realized that I had seen this before. This pattern of kidnapping. In the two other kids I had found before this. Kimmy Blankenship and Tony Friar. Their neighborhoods were exactly like Kira's. They had never had a crime occur there before their kidnappings. And their kidnappers were never caught._

_Which means that their kidnappers could possibly be the same guy. _

_I didn't know what to do with this information. Should I call Krantz with it? Or was I just overreacting?_

_Probably the latter, but I still had a hunch about it._

_I went over to Rob's house later that night. It was a Friday, and it was springtime now, so it was nice and warm out. School would be ending in two weeks. Hallelujah. _

_So Rob took me out on his bike with him. We went on the secluded streets that the cops tended to stray from, so we wouldn't get caught doing 100. Which was all good with me. I liked going fast. Especially with my arms around my incredibly sexy boyfriend._

_We went back to his house, and I realized that his mother wasn't home. Rob told me, grudgingly, that she was over Gary's place. I tried to hide my smile over his obvious dislike of his mother's boyfriend. Or maybe it was just _because_ Gary was his mother's boyfriend._

_Rob sawmy smileand told me it wasn't funny. I agreed, even though it totally was. He was just being a stick in the mud._

_Then Rob wrapped his arm around my waist and whispered in my ear, "Shall we go upstairs?"_

_I grinned and moved my hands to his waist and then reached around and grabbed his ass. He smirked at me and I said, "As you wish, my Lord." He just laughed at me and we went upstairs, him carrying me like a bride the whole way. And then he dumped me on his bed. Yes, _dumped_. How romantic. Not. _

_So we did a certain act that doesn't require clothes. Afterwards, I told him about Kira and what I suspected about the kidnapper._

_Rob, surprisingly, agreed with me. He obviously thought that it was more than a coincidence, just like me. He advised that I go to Krantz with it._

_"And," he said sternly, "don't you dare think about going after this kid by yourself."_

_I almost laughed at his tone, but I knew that would just make him mad. He was so serious, though. So I just nodded and told him I wouldn't dream of it. "Besides," I said, "the girl is from Washington."_

_He didn't seem to find this as amusing as I did, since he said, "So? You would go after a kid, even if they lived in Australia."_

_Which was sort of true. You know, if I had the funds to get a plane ticket there. But I didn't mention that to him._

_I rolled over so my chest was pressed up against his. "Are you saying that you would miss me dearly if anything were to happen to me?"_

_"Mastriani," he said, a little patronizingly, "are you mental?" Which, again, wasn't really romantic, but still._

_"Probably, considering I'm in bed with you."_

_He cracked a smile then. "Touché." Then he cupped my face in his hands and pulled me forward to kiss me. When his lips broke off from mine, he said, still smiling, "Have I told you today that I love you?"_

_"No," I said, because it was true. He hadn't said those three words to me today._

_"Well," he said, kissing me, "I love you."_

_I smiled against his lips and murmured, my voice muffled by our kissing, "I love you, too."_

- **§** -

I woke with a start. Light was pouring in through the windows to my right. It was so blinding that I had to shut my eyes. When I opened them again, I saw Towson sitting at the desk, looking at the file placed atop it. He was staring down at, a look of complete concentration clouding his face.

I didn't want to disturb him, so I rolled over and got out of bed as quietly as I could. He heard me, however, and said, "Jess?"

I turned around. "Yeah?"

He smiled. "Sleep well?"

And that was when I remembered. My dream. Or was it a dream? No, I don't think it was. It was like my old…visions (for lack of a better word), where I was the missing kid. Only…I didn't know who I was dreaming about in this one. I didn't know who the missing person was. I was looking for a serial killer, not a missing kid.

So what was the meaning of the dream - or vision, or whatever it was?

Towson, noticing my silence, said gently, "What was it?"

I shook my head. "I'm not sure yet. I'm still trying to work it out in my head."

He nodded. "Well, let me know. I can help you sort through it."

I nodded and headed for the bathroom. "I'm gonna shower. I'll talk to you when I'm done."

He didn't say anything, just turned back to the file.

When I was in the shower, I recalled my dream. I could remember every little detail. Every noise, every sound. However, there was nothing to see. The person was obviously blind-folded. Or blind, perhaps? Well, most likely blindfolded. There aren't too many handicapped victims that I've dealt with. This could very well be the first, but I was sticking with the norm - well, if having a vision of a kidnappee was considered normal, which it most certainly is not.

I - well, the victim - could hear the sound of something being sloshed around, like in a sink. And then the slight sound _phfft, _like something was being sucked up. And then I could feel a prick in my arm. Not a very hurtful one - kind of like that of a shot in the doctor's office.

But what could that mean? The person was obviously terrified. And if they were being injected with something - probably poison - they had every right to.

And the thing was, I knew _exactly_ where this person was. Well, that wasn't much of a surprise, given that I can do that all the time. But I didn't see a picture of this person. I didn't even know who they were.

So when I finished with my shower, I got dressed and went out to talk to Towson about it. I told him everything that I remembered and he agreed that it sounded like the victim was being given an injection of something. Then I gave him the location of the person, and he said he'd call Krantz with it and have someone check it out.

After he called Krantz, he started talking to me about the case. "There's a pattern here," he explained to me. He had spread out all of the killers' victims on the bed. They were all different sexes, heights, races, weights. It was weird. I knew there had to be a connection _some_where.

And I was right. Towson pointed it out. "Every single one of these people is handicapped, Jess. Not just physically. Some are mentally, too. So this killer is after people with some kind of handicap, mental or physical."

That kind of made me mad. That this dude was going after people that probably couldn't defend themselves. And I voiced that to Towson. He agreed.

"I know," he said. "This guy is obviously deranged himself. Well, most killers are, anyway, but still." He tapped his head with the pen in his hand. "There's got to be a motive here somewhere. What could it be? Why is this guy kidnapping and killing handicapped people?"

I sighed. I had no idea. "Maybe we should check out this guy's family?"

He nodded. "Good idea. Krantz already had someone check up on them. He sent me the file, I just haven't looked at it yet."

He dug around in his briefcase and got it out. He handed it to me and I flipped through it.

They were all dead. Except for this half-brother he had. Who moved himself to India. Huh.

I told this to Towson and he just asked, "How did they die?"

I looked over it and noticed something. All of his relatives, except for this half-brother and himself, were handicapped somehow. His mother was bi-polar and ended up killing herself. His dad had his legs amputated from being in Vietnam and he pretty much drank himself to death. His two brothers were born conjoined and didn't have an operation until they were ten and they both died in surgery. And his sister was deaf - she was walking along some train tracks one day (although, WHY she was doing that is beyond me) and obviously didn't hear the train coming. And BAM, she was dead.

So there was an obvious connection between his family and his victims. But it still made no sense. Why was he kidnapping and killing these poor people? Its not like they could help their handicaps any more than his family members could.

I told this all to Towson, which made him go sit back down at the desk and stare at the part of the killer's file that was remaining on his desk.

"You're right," he said. "It doesn't make any sense why he'd be trying to kill these people."

"I know," I sighed and plopped down on the armchair.

"I mean, obviously the death of his family members has messed him up psychologically. But…still. What would he get out of killing handicapped people? Is it to make up for the fact that his family died because of theirs? That doesn't make any sense."

I groaned. This was the part I hated about being an FBI agent. Too much thinking.

Honestly? I'd so rather read minds than find people. It would be more useful. Then I'd know why this dude was killing these people.

I looked over the victim reports again. They all seemed to say the same things. _Poisoned_. They were all poisoned. None of them were beaten. They never had a _scratch_ on them. Except for where the injection was.

According to the file, each injection was different. Different chemicals, different whatevers. What was this guy trying to do? Make up a new plague? And these poor handicap people were his rats?

I shook my head, trying to understand all of this. It was all so…I don't know. It was ridiculous. I mean, there's a serial killer. It turns out his family was all handicapped and they all died pretty much because of those handicaps. And now he's killing people who have handicaps?

Like Towson was saying, it didn't make any sense. Wouldn't the guy want to try and _help_ those people, instead of poison them and kill them?

And plus, I was still confused as hell about my vision thing. What was _that_ trying to tell me? Who was the person in my vision?

Unless…it was the serial killer? The SK was bound and blindfolded and given an injection? But…who would have caught the guy and did that? I mean, I would have heard about it if it was one of our own.

So was it the serial killer? Had I found him? Would I be getting a call any second now saying that he was caught and it was all over?

God I hoped so.

But even so, if that was the case, I would be kind of disappointed. I mean, I had to come all the way back to freaking Indiana because of this guy and he was so easy to find? _And_ he was already captured?

No, that didn't make any sense either.

Well, other than the serial killer, who could it have been in my vision? Because usually I _know_. When I look at a picture, or multiple pictures, I can distinguish who is where when I have multiple visions.

But this was different. I had no idea who it was. And it was really starting to bug me.

"Jess?" Towson's voice. I looked up from where I was staring at the photos of the victims on the bed. "You okay?"

I don't know. Was I okay? Not really. But I didn't want to worry him. "Yeah," I said, "I'm fine."

**Review, please.**


	7. You'll Thank Me One Day

After working two more hours trying to figure things out - of which we found nothing more - Towson and I decided to go get some early lunch. I let him pick the place, since it didn't really matter to me.

But imagine my surprise when we pulled up in front of Mastriani's, my dad's restaurant.

Towson started getting out of the car and I grabbed his arm in a panic. "Rich," I hissed, "what the _hell_ do you think you're doing?" Only I didn't say hell.

He smiled at me, which was odd given the circumstances. "_I_'m going to get lunch. You can do whatever you want."

I didn't let go of his arm. "Are you crazy? This is my parents' restaurant. I haven't seen them in almost three years, and you expect me to go in there?"

He said simply, "Yes."

"_Why_?"

"Because," he said, "its about time you told them what's happened to you, Jess." I had made the mistake, once upon a time, of confiding in him about my issues. About everything. My family and Kia…the only thing I really left out was Rob and now he knew about that.

"Maybe, Rich," I said, starting to get a little angry. "But now is _not_ the time. I can't face them right now."

"No time like the present, Jessica," he said. Noticing that that didn't help at all, he said, "Face it, Jess. You are never going to be ready. I know you. So you better do it now. You are getting out of this car and going in there and you're going to talk to your parents."

"And what if they don't happen to be there?" I asked with gritted teeth. That was a lie. My dad was _always_ there. But still. He didn't need to know that.

He smiled mischievously. "Oh, they're there. Well, at least your dad is. I checked beforehand."

"Why you little-"

He laughed. "Insult me all you want. I'm doing what's best for you."

I narrowed my eyes. "Right. Feeding me to the sharks is what's best for me? Because that's what you're doing right now, Rich."

He reached over and patted my cheek. "You'll thank me one day."

I just sulked. "I highly doubt that," I mumbled.

He got out of the car and came over to my side, opening up the door. Then he grabbed my arm and dragged me out. "Let's go. It'll be over before you know it. And you'll feel better afterwards." And then he started pushing me forward.

I was so tempted to scream for help and say that this guy was molesting me. But he was my partner and I couldn't draw that kind of attention to us. It wouldn't be very professional of me.

So I walked with him into Mastriani's. We both walked right up to the matre d. She was knew, so she didn't recognize me. Towson told her his name, I guess since he made a reservation. Then when she was leading us to our table, I noticed him glaring at me. Oh right.

"Um, Miss," I said, as the girl was walking away. She turned around quickly. "Is Mr. Mastriani around?"

She looked at me confusedly for a minute, then she said, "He's quite busy right now. I'm sorry." And she turned around to leave.

"Wait a second," I said and she turned around again. "Look, I really need to see him. He's…" Okay, I can't say he's my dad. Besides, would she even believe me? She's never seen me before. "Well, I just really need to see him."

"I'm sorry, ma'am," she said again. "But he really can't see anyone right now."

And instead of sinking back into the booth like I _wanted_ to do, I pulled out my badge and said, "I'm a federal agent, Miss. I'd really like to speak to him."

Then she nodded and said, "Follow me," in this squeaky voice. I heard Towson chuckling behind me as he followed us.

She knocked on the door of my dad's office. "Come in," he called. The matre d went in first and said, "Um, sir, there's a federal agent here. She wants to speak with you."

I heard my dad go, "What? FBI? God, its been years…I wonder what's-" Then he said, "Alright, send her in."

Towson went in first, and then me.

"Well, hello," my dad said, turning around to face us. "How can I h-"

Then he noticed me and he clammed up. "Hi, Dad," I said lamely.

His eyes widened, like he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing and hearing.

"J-Jess?" he asked, his voice breaking.

I nodded. Tears were forming in my eyes. Great.

"It's me, Dad."

We met half way and he hugged me. "Oh, honey," he said as I started crying in his shirt.

I kind of felt bad for Towson, who was probably standing there really uncomfortable. But then, he was the one who brought me here.

"D-Dad," I said, finally bringing my face out of his shirt. "I'm so s-sorry. I-"

"Shh," he said soothingly. "It's alright, sweetie."

I shook my head, wiping my tears off with my sleeve. "No, its not. It was ridiculous what I did. Running away without telling anyone. I just…there were things I had to deal with. And I couldn't risk anyone getting hurt-"

My dad blinked. "Is that what it was about?" he asked incredulously. "Someone was threatening you?"

I nodded. "But its all over now. I took care of it. But after I did, I just didn't think I could ever come back here and face everyone."

I knitted his eyebrows. "Then…why did you come back now?"

I sighed. "I have an assignment here. Rich and I-" I turned around and hastily introduced Rich, since I forgot to before, "have things to do here. And, well, he kind of made me come here to see you. I hated him for it, but now I'm kind of grateful for it. I missed you, Dad."

He smiled. "Oh, I missed you too, honey. Without you there, your mother…" He sighed. "Oh, your mother…"

I was instantly seized with terror. "Dad…please don't mention this to her? I'll come by the house sometime this week. Just…I can't face her today. Please."

He nodded. "I know. I understand." He hugged me again. When he pulled away, he laughed. "You know, I always tried to figure out why you did it. I always thought that maybe you got pregnant or something, not that you were being threatened."

I sucked in a breath. I could practically _feel_ Towson trying not to laugh. 

My dad looked at both of us funny. "Wait a second," he said, it dawning on him. "_Did_ you get pregnant?"

I bit my lip. I couldn't lie and say no. I sighed. "Yes, I did."

"But…where's the baby? Did you…you didn't have an abortion, did you?"

I shook my head. "Of course not, Dad. I kept her. She's at Krane right now. Jill and Allan are looking after her for me."

I saw tears in my dad's eyes. That made me want to cry. "I can't believe…oh, Lord." I guess it was all so much to take in that he had to sit down. "What is your mother going to say when she finds out?"

"Dad!" I said, panic-stricken. "Don't tell her!"

He looked at me like I was nuts. "Are you kidding? That's your job."

I sighed, relieved. 

"So what's her name?"

"Kia," I answered.

He smiled. "Kia. I like it. And…" he swallowed, like he didn't want to ask, but he just had to. And I knew what was coming before he even said it. "Who's the father?"

I gulped. "You know who it is."

He sighed. "I know. Just had to ask. Does he know?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Jess," my dad said sternly. "You didn't tell him? He has a child out there that he has no clue about? Honey, that's horrible! You have to tell him."

I looked at Towson. He had the whole 'I told ya so' look on his face.

"I can't right now, Dad. If he…if I tell him and he wants nothing to do with us…I don't know what I'd do."

Dad stood up and embraced me again. "Jess, honey, I understand how you're feeling. I can't say I've been in the same situation, but I can understand. But I know how _I_ would feel if I had a child and no one told me. So I think you should tell Rob."

I nodded, a sob ripping from my throat. What was _with_ this? I never cry!

"I…you're r-right. I will t-tell him. Just…not y-yet. I need t-t-time."

My dad nodded. "Of course, honey. I know. When you're ready do it."

Towson's phone went off then. "Sorry," he said quickly before he answered it.

"You're kidding," he said to the person on the other end. He sighed and then groaned. "Okay, we'll be there as soon as we can."

I was to his side as fast as a lightning bolt. Ha, how ironic. "What is it?"

"The location you gave them. They found a body. But the person's been dead for a long time."

**Review!**


	8. Paoli Hospital: Take One

_It wasn't difficult to find the kid. She was in an old warehouse just on the outskirts of town. I was thinking about just going to get her myself, but I made a promise to Rob that I wouldn't go and rescue the kid myself._

_So I called Rosemary and told her where Kira was. Rosemary thanked me and then we hung up._

_I decided to give Ruth a call, since we haven't really hung out that much lately. You know, with me and Rob always together and her and this new boyfriend of hers._

_And it was weird. I first met the guy when she brought him over for dinner at our house one night. And Mikey was acting all weird. Like…_

_…he was jealous._

_I know. I _know_. __Mikey, jealous of Ruth and her boyfriend? I mean, Mike has Claire. But still. That's just what I had observed._

_Anyway, I called Ruth and we decided to go see a movie at the local cinema. They were older movies, but it was still fun. We went out for some pizza afterwards and just had some girl chat._

_But it was weird. As we were sitting there, eating our pizza and talking - and even as we were watching the movie - I felt like someone was watching us._

_And when Ruth was driving us home, I could have sworn I saw a car following us. But then when I looked behind us, it was gone._

_Weird, I tell ya._

_It may have been nothing, but I still called up Dr. Krantz anyway and told him what had happened. He told me that it was probably nothing and a result of my overactive imagination. Haha, Dr. K, very funny._

_But he still called extra agents to keep watch outside my house for a couple of nights._

_This would have made me feel safe going to sleep that night, if it wasn't for the fact that I still felt like someone was watching me. And very closely, too._

* * *

I stared at him. _What_?

"How can that be? I just had the vision!"

"I don't know, Jess. But we have to go meet Krantz. This is serious." Well, _duh_.

I turned back to my dad. "I'm sorry, but we have to go." I went over and hugged him tight and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Dad. I'll come back some time this week, okay?"

He nodded and let go of me. "Be careful."

I nodded and turned to go. Then remembering something, I turned around and said, "Tell Douglas something for me? Tell him I'm okay and that I'm sorry."

My dad nodded and Towson and I left.

"Well, that was certainly interesting," Towson said as we were pulling out of the parking lot.

"Yeah, tell me about it."

He looked over at me. "You feel any better?"

I nodded. "Thanks. Really. You were right."

He laughed. "I had no doubt about that." Then he laughed again. "God, the look on your face when your dad said that about being pregnant…"

I punched his arm. "Shut up. That was not funny."

"Oh, it so was. I mean, come on. You can't tell me that wasn't funny."

"Easy," I said. "It wasn't funny."

That just made him laugh again. "So you're going to tell the guy about Kia?"

"He has a name, Rich. It's Rob," I muttered, for some reason annoyed. And it wasn't because of the whole dragging-me-to-Mastriani's-to-see-my-dad thing. I sighed and then said, "Yeah, I guess I'm gonna have to."

"Jess," he said softly, "you don't have to do anything you don't want to."

I looked at him accusingly. "Oh, so now you're telling me this? Last night you told me I had to tell him."

"No, I didn't say that. I told you that I thought it would be best if you did," he said, which made me aggravated. "But I'm not making you do anything."

I groaned. "Okay, whatever. Just drive." And he did. It took us about an hour, but we finally arrived at Krane Military Base.

We went in and were immediately met by Dr. Krantz, Allan, Jill, and a bunch of other agents. We were led to the conference room from the other day.

We talked about the case for hours. Apparently not even Dr. Krantz thought it would be this complicated. He thought I'd look at the guy and immediately know where he was. Hell, _I_ even thought that. But apparently that's not the case.

And the deal with the person they found? The autopsy report hadn't come back yet, but they suspected she had been dead for at least a couple of months.

So what did that mean? Why did I have a vision of something happening to someone when they were already dead?

Wait…was it a vision of the past? It had to be! I'm having past visions now, instead of the present.

Oh, my God. This is so weird.

When I thought of it, I told Krantz and he started thinking about it, too. "You know, Jessica," he said, "you might be right. From what you're describing, that could be it."

I nodded. Well, that helped a lot. Telling me that I'm right when I know it.

"The question is," he went on, "why are you having visions of the past? What are they trying to tell you?"

I shrugged. How was I supposed to know? I just had the visions. It didn't mean I understood them.

We stayed there until the autopsy report came back, which was not until around nine that night. The victim was a white female, age 22, 5'6", 135 pounds, brown hair, green eyes.

Oh, and she was blind. She was also poisoned. Well, not like rat poison. But she was injected with some kind of mixture that was lethal.

And that's when it clicked. My vision, I mean.

I was having visions of the _serial killer's past victims_. Ones that were obviously not found. Ones that people had no idea about.

What were these visions trying to make me see, though? Yeah, okay, this woman was killed. She was injected with something lethal, and she was also blind. But what did that help me?

I was so confused. Why couldn't I just have a vision of the whereabouts of this damn serial killer? It would make life so much easier. Why did it have to be harder than that?

This stupid power. It's so unpredictable. Sometimes it gives me the exact whereabouts of people. Which is, you know, nice and all. But when I _really_ need to find someone, it gives me the places of the killer's unknown victims.

Great. Just great.

While everyone else was getting something to eat, I took the file with me and went to see Kia. She was sleeping when I went in, but I was happy just seeing her. While she was laying there, I read over the file. Again.

And I saw something that neither Towson nor I had seen before.

The serial killer had been a doctor. He had gone to medical school. He was an intern at - get this - the hospital that I was born in. He then started working at the hospital in Paoli. And then he disappeared, according to his coworkers at Paoli Hospital.

And that was when he probably started kidnapping people and injecting them with stuff and killing them.

So what was this guy doing then? Was he kidnapping these people and then injecting them with stuff as a test? Was he experimenting on them like a bunch of rats?

For what, though? What could he possibly be doing?

And _where_? Where was this guy's lair, where he must be carrying out these experiments?

My head hurt from all of this thinking. I tried to get things straight.

So this serial killer was kidnapping handicapped people. He was injecting them with something - a different mixture for a different person - a different handicap. And I was having visions about his past victims - the ones that were never found.

What was I supposed to do with this information? I realized I was an FBI agent, but I was no genius.

Why couldn't we just hire a detective, give him the information we have, and let him find the damn serial killer?

Oh, wait. Because the FBI is supposed to do the investigating. And because I'm Lightning Girl, and I'm supposed to be able to find the guy.

Oh, well that's just great.

Towson came in then. Seeing that Kia was sleeping, he didn't say anything. He came over and sat next to me on the end of the bed. He put his arm around me and whispered, so I could barely hear him, "You okay?"

Even though I didn't like the guy, it still felt good to be comforted like that. I nodded, then pointed to the door. He seemed to think that I wanted him to leave, or something, since he let go of me and started for the door.

"No," I whispered, "I need to tell you something."

He smiled and reached for my hand and we both left the room. I showed him what I had found in the file and then what I suspected.

"Oh, my God," he said when he came to the same realization I did. "So this guy…he's using these people like a bunch of rats."

I nodded. "That's what I think, too. Only…I can't seem to figure out where he's doing it. Experimenting on these people, I mean."

He shook his head. "That's what we thought you'd be able to figure out, Jess."

I sighed. "I know. I thought I could, too. Except I'm coming up with all these other locations, where he must have dumped the bodies after he killed them."

He looked at me curiously. "Wait, you had another one?"

I shook my head. "No, I was just…exaggerating, I guess. But still. You see what I mean?"

He nodded. "I do. But…what can we do about this?" He paused and then said slowly, "Unless…"

"What?" I prompted.

"We should go to Paoli Hospital. Talk to some of the doctors and nurses there."

I nodded. "Good idea. Let's go."

And we did. We told Krantz what we found and what we were doing and he seemed to think it was a good idea.

But imagine my surprise when we got all the way to Paoli and the Hospital was closed.

Not just for the night, no. Forever. It was closed down. The windows and doors were boarded up. You could barely see the outline of where the letters for "Paoli Hospital" had been.

Great. So now what are we going to do?

**Isn't it crazy? I'm actually updating pretty regularly (for me, anyway). So maybe as a reward, you guys'll review plenty for me?**


	9. So If You Don't Hate Me

**You guys were begging me for more Rob. So here you have it. Probably not as much as you'd like, but...the rest will come later. No pun intended. :D**

Towson and I left the hospital parking lot, defeated. So much for talking to the employees. We went right back to Krane, so I could say goodnight to Kia, even though she was probably still asleep.

She was when I went into her room. Asleep, I mean. So I went over and kissed her on the head and whispered, "Goodnight, honey." And then I left with Towson.

We went back to the hotel to go to sleep. By that time, it was nearly midnight, and I was exhausted. All I wanted to do was fall in the bed and go to sleep.

But, of course, you can't always get what you want.

Because who was waiting outside our hotel room? Yeah, that would be Rob.

I saw him right when we got out of the elevator. Towson did, too. He was all, "Isn't that-?"

And I nodded, saying, "Yeah, it is."

And I could tell Towson was trying to not laugh. Even though the situation was _so_ not funny.

I walked as calmly as I could over to our room. Rob saw us right away and stood up straight. It was kind of unnerving, having him watching us as we were walking toward him.

Towson really paid no attention to Rob. He just opened the door and went inside, saying, "Good luck," to me and shutting the door. Great. He left me alone with Rob. Real nice.

I didn't know what to say to him. I mean, there were so many things I needed to tell him, but I didn't know what to start with. And, well, those things I needed to tell him? Yeah, I really didn't _want_ to tell him. Well, I guess I did, but I was afraid to.

Rob smiled at me, but it looked like he was a little nervous, too. Finally he said, "Do you want to take a walk?"

I hesitated, thinking about saying no and shutting myself up in the hotel room. Instead, I nodded and followed him out of the hotel. And surprisingly (or not surprisingly, depending on how you looked at it), I was no longer tired.

We walked out of the hotel building and out onto the street. Rob steered us in the direction of Chick's. Huh.

And then I thought of something.

"How'd you know where to find me?" I asked a little suspiciously.

"Last night," he said, "you mentioned staying at a hotel. And this was the nearest hotel to Chick's, so I assumed you were staying here."

"And you also assumed which room was ours?"

"Well," he admitted, "I might have used a little persuasion at the front desk."

I narrowed my eyes. "What _kind_ of persuasion?"

He laughed. "What, you thought I'd threaten someone?" He shook his head. "I just told them that I had to deliver a package and that you had given me the wrong room number. They totally bought it."

I rolled my eyes. Of course.

"So, does your friend," he said, emphasizing the word friend, "care that you're with me?"

"Not really," I said honestly. "He was actually encouraging it."

Rob seemed surprised. "Really? He seemed the whole over-protective type."

Okay, maybe he didn't mean to, but that struck a chord. "What would he have to be over-protective about? He's not my boyfriend," I told him for the third time.

He shrugged. "So you've said. I can't help but think otherwise. I mean, you guys do look rather chummy."

I gave him a hard look. "Chummy," I echoed. "_Friends_ are chummy."

He didn't respond to that. Instead he said, "So I heard you went to see your dad?"

I stopped walking and just…stared at him. "How…how did you know that?"

He just smiled. "I have my ways."

First the hotel, now this. "Are you…are you following me?"

He laughed at that. I didn't think it was too funny, however. "No, Jess, I'm not following you. I talk to your brother. He talks to me."

I blinked. "My brother…Douglas?"

He nodded. "That'd be the one."

I started walking again. "…Oh." Then that would mean my dad told Douglas about seeing me, which I figured he would since I told him to tell Doug that I was sorry. Which I was. For running away, I mean.

Then I was seized with another thought. Maybe my dad had told Douglas about Kia and, well, who her father is. And then if Douglas talked to Rob then…

Oh, shit.

Well, maybe there was a chance he didn't know. I mean, he didn't _seem_ like he knew. I'm sure if he did know he would have asked me about it by now. And besides, I think my brother would know not to spill the beans.

At least, I hoped that was the case.

We walked a little further in silence. Well, until I could take it no more.

"Rob," I finally said, "why did you want to talk to me?"

He turned to me and held my gaze for a few moments. Then he stared ahead of him again. "I need to know some things."

I gulped. "What kind of things?" I asked uneasily.

He turned his head to look into my eyes. "Why you left."

Of course. I should have known that he would want to know. Actually, I kind of did know, I was just denying that fact.

"So you're not going to tell me then?" he asked, his eyes telling me that he was hurt.

I groaned. I may not have planned to talk to him yet, but I had come up with some sort of outline as to how I was going to break it to him. And this was not how I was planning it to go.

"Rob, please. Don't…"

He stopped walking and looked at me. Then he gripped my shoulders and shook me a little bit. "Don't tell me what not to do, Jess. I want to know why you left. I think you owe me an explanation anyway."

"Oh?" I said defensively, trying to wriggle out of his grip on my shoulders. Him touching me was definitely not helping me keep my head straight. "Why is that?"

"Because," he said, his eyes smoldering, "I was in love with you, Jess. You said you loved me too. And then you just up and left without telling anyone where you were going. Well, it hurt me, Jess. Real bad."

I sighed. He was right. I did owe him. I just didn't feel like telling him. I didn't want him knowing how much of a coward I had been. Hell, how much of an _idiot_ I had been.

"So, what is it?" he prompted.

I sighed, realizing I wasn't going to be able to get myself out of this one. "Fine. I'll…I'll tell you."

He let go of my shoulders and just stood there, folding his arms across his chest.

I was debating on what to tell him. I wasn't ready to tell him about Kia yet. But then I wasn't really ready to tell him anything.

I sighed, realizing I should just do it all in one dose to get it over with. I was just afraid of his reaction to all of it.

"Remember when I told you about that one girl, Kira?"

He nodded, his eyes locked on mine, but not giving anything away. "And how you thought she was linked to a couple of other kidnapping cases?"

I nodded my head. "Turns out, they were linked."

His face was full of surprise. "What? You never told me that. You told me that they weren't and that they-" He stopped, realizing the truth.

His jaw was set. "You lied to me," he said. It wasn't a question. He knew the truth.

I sighed, looking away from him. "I had to, Rob. I was being blackmailed."

"What are you talking about?" He sounded exasperated.

I turned my head back to him. He looked a little calmer. "Skip? Remember when Skip was injured?"

"Yeah," he said slowly, his eyes slightly shadowed, "he got in a car accident. So what?"

"That was no accident."

He blinked. "What? But the cops said-"

"The cops," I replied, "were only going by what they knew. I, however, knew the truth."

Which, I realized, was the wrong thing to say to Rob Wilkins.

"Yeah, of course you knew the goddamn truth," he seethed. "But did you ever think to fill me in? Of course not. I was only your boyfriend."

I sighed, realizing that this conversation was not going the way I wanted it to.

"Don't you see, Rob?" I said pleadingly. "I couldn't tell you. Not if I didn't want you to be next."

Now he really was exasperated. He threw his hands up in the air as he asked, "What? Jess, what are you _talking_ about?"

"A threat," I explained, enunciating the word carefully. "I was being threatened, blackmailed, whatever. The point is, whoever had kidnapped Kira was angry at me for ruining his plans. Not just with her, but with a bunch of other kids he had kidnapped that I had also found."

His eyes glinted with comprehension. "So you ran away so nobody would get hurt," he finished for me.

I nodded. "Unfortunately, yes."

"I can't believe-" He stopped and moved closer to me, taking my hands in his. "Jess, you could have told me. We would have gotten through it."

I shook my head, trying to rid the tears I could feel forming in my eyes. Jeez, twice in one day. "Tell you? So you could end up in ICU just like Skip? Or worse, dead? I couldn't, Rob, not if I wanted to keep you and everyone else I loved alive. I had to leave."

"So that's…" he trailed off, gripping my hands tighter, pulling me closer to him. "That's why you were pushing me away. Why you were pushing everyone away. You were trying to distance yourself from us, so we wouldn't get hurt. And then that didn't work, so you left."

I nodded, the tears finally falling. And then Rob let go of my hands. I panicked, because I loved the feeling of his hands holding mine, like he was protecting me. But I didn't panic for long, since he put his arms around me and pulled me close to him.

I cried into his shirt as he held me. A car came by and the driver honked their horn to get us to move out of the way. Rob flipped them off and they swerved around us angrily. We finally moved out of the street and found a bench nearby.

So much for going to Chick's.

Finally I removed my face from his shirt and wiped it on my sleeve. He loosened his arms so I could look at him.

"You…you hate me now, don't you? For ruining what we had." I was afraid to say it, but I had to know what he thought.

He looked down at me in shock. "Jess…" he said, reaching up with one hand and pushing a strand of hair behind my ear. "Of course not. I could never hate you. I understand what you did and why you did it. Yes, I wish you had told me, but…I would have done the same thing."

"So if you don't hate me…"

He smiled, but didn't say anything. Well, at least I knew he didn't hate me. That was good news.

Then I said, before I could think better of it, "There's…Rob, there's something else I need to tell you."

He tensed a little, as if he was bracing himself for what I was about to tell him. I hesitated, thinking maybe now wasn't the greatest time. But…I couldn't just say 'never mind' and be on my merry way. No, I had to tell him.

"What is it?" he asked hesitantly.

I gulped. "I, um…" Then I sighed. Here it goes. "It wasn't just because of that that I left."

"What?" he asked, like he didn't get what I was saying. "What do you mean?"

"There's another reason to me leaving," I said, a little slower.

I could feel how tense he was beneath his shirt. And I realized that his anxiety would only get worse. "Which is…"

Here it goes.

I sighed, blurting out the three words that were lodged in my throat. "I was pregnant."

Ladies and gentleman, the bomb has been dropped.

He dropped his arms from around me and kept them at his sides. That made me worried and apprehensive. He didn't say anything for a few moments. Then he just went, "Is this some kind of joke, Mastriani? Because it's not funny."

How could he think I was joking about something like that? Kind of hurt, I said, "It's not a joke, Rob." I tried to will myself not to cry.

But it was hard not to. I could already feel the rejection before he even said anything.

"So you're serious." His face was deadpan, his voice unemotional. What was going on here?

"Yes, I'm serious!"

He didn't say anything, just looked away from me. I elaborated a little more. "I panicked when I first realized. It was about two weeks before I left. I didn't tell anyone, except for Ruth. And I realized, even if I stuck around, what would happen to us if I had a baby? Imagine how hard that would be for the both of us? Especially with our parents? Or, okay, _my_ parents?"

He still wasn't saying anything, or looking at me. "So I called up Krantz, told him my situation and he booked a flight for me to Florida. And I've been staying there ever since. Well, until now, at least."

He finally looked at me and said, his voice a little raw, "And what about the baby?"

"I had her. She's two right now. Her name is Kia." Then I smiled. "She looks just like you."

And it was strange, as I was looking into his eyes. I saw them glimmer in the dim glow of the street lamp. Like…he had tears in his eyes.

"Where is she?" he asked, his voice still not sounding normal. It sounded a little strangled.

"She's staying at Krane with Jill and Allan."

He turned away from me, presumably to wipe the tears from his eyes. Although, I had just completely broke down in front of him. I didn't really care if he did the same in front of me. Although…I guess since he's a guy, he's got his pride to worry about.

When he turned back around he said, "Do you think maybe…that I could possibly…"

"…go see her?" I finished for him.

He nodded. Which made me extremely happy. Because that had to mean something, right? If he wanted to go see her, that meant he had to want to have some part of her in his life.

"That can definitely be arranged. We can go up tomorrow morning."

He wrapped his arms back around me and laughed, nuzzling his face in my neck.

"This whole time," he murmured into my neck. "This whole time I've had a daughter and I never knew it."

Which, you know, only made me feel a little guilty.

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "I should have told you. I just…I was afraid, I guess."

He lifted his head up and looked at me curiously, his arms tightening around me. "Afraid of what?"

I looked down and muttered, "That you wouldn't want to be a part of her life."

He made a weird noise then. Something like a gasp, I guess. It was weird. "Jess," he said, his voice sounding ragged. "Wha…how could you think that? She's my _daughter_. How could I _not_ want to be a part of her life?"

"I don't know," I murmured, feeling ashamed. "I just…I don't know."

He put a finger beneath my chin and lifted it so I had to look in his eyes. "I want to be a part of her life, Jess. Just like I want to be a part of yours."

I smiled through the tears that were now running freely down my face. His hand came to my face and wiped them away.

"So if you don't hate me…" I said again.

He smiled again. But this time he said something. Something amazing.

"I love you."

And then I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him. Because, really, what else is there to do when the guy you love says that to you? Nothing I can think of really. Well, there is one thing, but I highly doubt it was appropriate given that we were on a bench along a residential street. And I'm sure there were many little kiddies peaking out their windows.

**Review, please.**


	10. Going Back On Your Word

_I went up in my room after a late night with Rob. I was planning on falling straight asleep, since I was so exhausted._

_But then I noticed something odd laying on my bed. Kind of like a rock wrapped in paper. I couldn't really tell, because I hadn't turned my light on yet._

_So I went over to turn my light on. I went back to my bed and picked up the object. It _was_ a rock wrapped in paper. I took the paper off the rock, confusedly, and picked up the rock._

Dear Lightning Girl,

I have been watching you. I know that you know this. I can feel your apprehension and fear when I look at you.

I know that you have been finding the kids I have been kidnapping. This is beyond you. Do not find anymore kids, or else I'll be forced to kill everyone you know and love, and then torture you.

So if you want your loved ones to remain safe, stop finding these kids! And do not show this paper to the FBI. It will only make things worse for you.

_I dropped the paper to the bed._

_Oh, crap._

_Why me? Seriously, why do I have to be put through this shit? My life _sucks_._

_I didn't know what to do after I found that. Should I just ignore it, pretend I never saw it? Should I heed its warnings and stop finding these kids? Or should I actually bring the paper to Krantz and show him?_

_Even though the paper said not to, I knew I had to. It was the only way to stop this person from succeeding._

_I called Krantz up and he came over as soon as he could. I snuck out to meet him, since I didn't want to worry the rest of my family. Dr. K told me I should tell them what was going on, but I made him swear not to. I didn't want them to worry about it._

_So together Dr. Krantz and I talked about it. He was sending even _more_ agents to watch our house. That fact should have comforted me, but somehow I knew something bad was coming._

_- § -_

Rob walked me back to the hotel and up to Towson's and my room. I didn't want to go inside. I didn't want to leave the comfort of his embrace. But…I knew I had to.

We were standing outside the door, delaying the process of me going inside. He kept his arms around me and just kept kissing me. Not that I really minded.

I just wished we could go back to his house and stay there forever. I didn't realize how much I missed being in his arms. God, how much I missed _him_.

"God, I've missed you," he whispered against my lips, somehow reading my thoughts.

I smiled against his lips. "You missed God? What about me?"

He smiled, too. "I've missed you more."

"Is that a challenge?"

His smile transformed into his infamous half-disgusted, half-amused smile. "It could be."

I laughed. "Oh yeah? What do I get if I win?"

He leaned back into me again and pressed his forehead against mine. "How 'bout a night alone with me?"

Even he knew I couldn't pass up that kind of deal. I met his lips with mine again in acquiescence.

But then the moment was completely ruined when Towson opened the door, looked at us in our liplock, muttered a 'sorry,' and shut the door again.

I broke away from Rob and sighed. "I guess I should go inside now."

He refused to let go of me. "I guess you should."

I buried my face in his chest, breathing in his scent. Then I whined, "But I don't want to."

I felt him chuckle. "I don't want you to, either."

We must have stood there like that for another five minutes, before I realized I really _should_ go inside.

Rob realized this too, since he removed his arms from around me and then shoved his hands in his jeans pockets.

"I'll call you in the morning," I said to him. He nodded and kissed me one more time, then retreated down the hallway.

I went inside the hotel room finally, feeling a little defeated.

Towson was sitting on the bed when I got in. I tried not to groan at the look on his face. I didn't want to deal with _this_ right now.

"So I guess you guys made up," he said. If it was any other guy that said that to me, it would have made me mad. But somehow he managed to not sound snooty when he said things like that.

"I guess we did," I muttered back.

"You don't seem too happy about it," he pointed out.

I sighed. "I _am_. I just…"

"…feel bad for me," he finished, somehow reading my thoughts.

I sighed again. "Yeah."

"I don't need your pity, Jess. I'm happy for you, okay? That you're finally getting what you want. Just…if he ever breaks your heart, I'll kill him."

That proclamation just made me laugh. I'm sure that it wasn't intended to, but it did. "I think its his heart you have to worry about, not mine."

He smiled a little. Then he asked, "Did you tell him about Kia?"

I nodded, not elaborating.

"And what did he say?"

I shrugged, sitting down beside him on the bed. "He seemed pretty happy about it. I told him I'd take him to see her tomorrow morning."

"Good," he said, sounding genuinely pleased. "I'm glad things are working out for you."

And then I felt bad. For him. I know I shouldn't, because if its anything I hate, its pity. I hate being pitied and pitying people. But…the guy deserved someone to make him happy, too.

"Rich, I…I'm sure you'll find someone someday. You just have to be patient."

He nodded, but not like he believed me.

"Seriously, Rich. There's someone out there for you. You're gonna find her."

"I know," he said. This time he looked a little more believing. "It's just the wait that'll kill me."

I didn't know what to say to that. I mean, it could be tomorrow that he finds someone, or it could be fifty years down the road. Something like that you can't predict.

We didn't say anything more to each other. He went and took the chair, letting me have the bed. I would have protested, because I felt bad, but I was way too tired to even think.

As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out.

****

- § -

When I woke up in the morning, I knew the location of yet another handicapped victim. This one, I realized, was probably already dead, too. Which, you know, didn't make me feel all that great.

I woke Towson up, since I was awake before him - well, it _was_ only five o'clock. He grumbled and mumbled and then fell back asleep. Finally I just pushed him out of the chair. I felt bad, but I needed to tell him what I had learned while I was asleep.

"Okay!" he said, his voice rusty with sleep. "I'm up. I'm up."

He lifted himself back in the chair and blinked at me blearily. "What is it?"

So I told him all about it. How this person was also handicapped - possibly deaf? Of course, they were scared and didn't know what was going on. Then they felt the now-familiar prick in their arm - in the crease between their upper arm and forearm.

So we did the same thing as last time. We called Krantz and he sent someone to the place to recover the body. This place wasn't too far from Krane (which scared me - this meant that this serial killer was _close_), so they found the body - or should I say corpse? because the person, as I had predicted, was already dead - and sent it to be autopsied.

I was so involved with this new dead person, that I completely forgot about calling Rob to see Kia. But as I thought about it, I realized that maybe today wasn't the right time to do it. There were so many things going on at once. Finding this body - and thinking about how many more dead people I was going to be finding. Trying to track down this serial killer. Trying to prevent him from killing anyone else.

I felt bad. I mean, I _knew_ Rob wanted to go see her, and badly. I wanted him to see her. I wanted Kia to meet her father at last. I wanted to see them meet and be happy together, like a father and daughter should be.

But as much as I wanted to see that happen, I knew today couldn't be that day. There was too much going on. I didn't want them both in the middle of this case.

Nervously, I dialed Rob's number. He picked up on the first ring. "Hey," I said. "It's me."

"I figured. So, are we going?" I couldn't mistake the jovial tone in his voice, and it depressed me. I hated having to do this.

"Rob, listen…" I sighed. "We can't do this today. I know I told you we would, but something's come up and-"

"Wait, _what_? What do you mean, something's come up? What can be more important than this?"

I sighed again. He was right. Him meeting Kia was the most important thing. But I had a feeling that keeping them both away from this case was more important.

"The reason I came here in the first place, Rob. I have a job to do. I'll call you when things lighten up and we can go over there. Right now, I have a lot of work to do."

"Jess, come on." Seeing that I wouldn't budge he said, "Well, fine. I'll go there myself. Just tell the agents to let me in."

"It's not that easy, Rob. They won't do that. I have to be there with you."

"But you-" he broke off and I could hear his breathing getting heavier. "You don't understand. I couldn't sleep all night. All I kept thinking about was meeting her. I need to see her, Jess. I need to…to…"

"I know you do," I said, feeling tears yet again threatening to spill over. "But it can't happen right now. I'm so sorry."

"What the fuck is more important than me meeting my daughter, huh?" he asked, his tone not exactly friendly. "Tell me."

I don't know what made me do it. Maybe it was the fact that he dropped the 'f' bomb (not that I'm completely prudish when it comes to cursing - I'm anything but, trust me). Or it could have just been his tone. But regardless of what it was, I snapped, "Preventing other people from _dying_, Rob. That's what. This is my job and that's what I'm trying to do."

And then I hung up. I felt that if I kept talking to him I would have given in, and that wasn't in any of our best interests.

**Review, please!**


	11. Seven More

__

I'm pregnant. That was all I could think for the week after I found out. I knew I had to tell Rob. It was his, obviously. I had to tell my parents, too.

But how exactly do you go about doing that? Especially with the way my mother is?

So you can understand why I freaked. I mean, I was eighteen and all, but still. I was pregnant. I hadn't even graduated high school yet (yeah, only another week, but still), my boyfriend wasn't even college bound, and I was a biological freak.

So yeah. If I thought my luck couldn't get any worse, it just did.

I made a vow to myself to keep the baby, though. I didn't care what happened to me. I wanted my unborn child, no matter what. No abortions, no adoptions. The baby was mine and would stay that way. And if Rob didn't want a part in that, then that was his fault.

It would just be hard telling him. I mean, it would be hard telling him about something like that normally, but I really haven't been speaking to him in the last few weeks since I got that threat letter. I wanted to keep him safe.

But this was something I had to tell him. He needed to know that he was going to have a kid.

****

- § -

I was right. The person was deaf. The person was a thirty-seven year old male. Blonde hair, blues eyes. Six-foot-two, one-hundred and eighty pounds. A pretty normal guy. Except he was deaf.

And was found by what we now dubbed the "handicap killer." Which I guess is misleading, because its not the killer that is handicap; its his victims.

And somehow, this information leaked to the news. Don't ask me how. It just did. So now they are broadcasting everything pertaining to this killer. I mean, yeah, they knew about this guy before, but the case, all the files, everything, was handed over to the FBI, so the news stations couldn't get any dirt on this killer.

But now they have it. So really, it was the media that dubbed this killer the "handicap killer." But still. Whatever.

I'm just mad about this. That now everyone knows about it. It'll be harder to work with the news around town all the time now. They know the locations that the bodies were found out, and they know just who found them.

Luckily, however, they don't know where Lightning Girl is currently staying.

Well they didn't, until some dude at the front desk ratted me out to CNN.

But where there's a will there's a way. And that way is the FBI. They have agents posted outside the hotel, warding off the news stations. Plus, Towson got so pissed, he talked to the owner of the place, and he offered us the room for free for however long we needed it. It didn't really matter how much it was, considering the government pays for it, but still. It was something, I guess.

But its really annoying when we go outside. They take pictures of me and stuff with Towson when we go outside, but at least they can't hound me for questions. Which is something, I guess.

Although its getting pretty annoying, seeing my name on television again. And apparently Towson is my "new guy."

Huh. Great. That'll make Rob happy. Especially since he's already pissed off at me.

That afternoon, Towson and I headed over to the place where William Peters was found dead, aka the deaf victim.

There were news vans crowding there, too. Plus, some had followed us from the hotel. Somehow some of them even got in the crime scene, which pissed me off.

"People," I managed to yell over everybody, arriving on the scene and seeing this catastrophe. "This is a crime scene, for God's sakes. Get out of here."

They all just looked at me like I was crazy. Towson pushed me inside and threatened them to get out of there or he'd slap a lawsuit on their asses. I wasn't sure whether he could do that or not, but decided not to question it.

I went inside the crime scene, which happened to be an abandoned barn. These seem to be common places for murders to be committed.

There was police tape up around the perimeter of the place. There were still forensics people taking samples and pictures. I looked around and saw the tape where the body had been lying and tried to repress a shudder. Even if this guy was able to see, he couldn't hear anything that was going on around him. A bomb could have gone off and he would be none the wiser.

Towson came in right behind me, muttering something under his breath. I decided not to ask. He came up to me and handed me a folder. They were pictures of the body.

I could stomach these ones. I mean, yeah, it was obvious the guy was dead in the pictures. His complexion was totally off. His eyes were staring at nothing. That kind of thing. But it wasn't gory. No blood, no cuts, nothing. There was nothing wrong with him that I could see from the pictures. But then I noticed the autopsy report.

Poisoned. I noticed some chemicals that were similar to the ones in the last body found, and all the ones prior to that.

I still could not understand what this guy was doing. Why was he poisoning these people? What did he get out of it?

I still could not answer these questions, and it frustrated me beyond belief.

As I was glancing through the pictures again, my phone started buzzing. I picked it up and it was Jill. "Hey," I said.

"Hi, Jessica. I heard about the new body. What is going on? Have you got a location of this man yet?"

I sighed. "No, and its really frustrating me. I keep looking at his picture, but instead of getting his location, I get undiscovered victims of his. I mean, I guess its good that these bodies are being found. But more could take their place if I don't get this guy."

She sighed. "Sounds like you've got your hands full."

"Unfortunately. Where's Kia?"

"She's playing videogames. I'll put her on."

I talked to Kia for a little while, which always seems to calm my nerves. At least, for the time being. When I hung up with her, telling her I would come up tonight to see her, I felt a little better. I would at least be able to get through the rest of the day.

Towson and I left the crime scene about a half hour later. There was nothing there. This killer definitely knew how to clean up after himself, wherever he is right now.

We went back to the hotel, but this time to meet Krantz and a bunch of other agents. The owner, still probably wary about us, let us use the conference room to sort out the mess we were in.

After we exhausted the topic of the case, Krantz and the other agents disappeared and Towson and I went back to the room. By that time it was around five o'clock and I was starving.

We ordered room service, and a half hour later I was happily fed and sleepy. So I took a nap.

When I woke up again, I glanced at the clock and it was almost ten o'clock. At that moment I realized four things: one, that I was supposed to go to Krane to see Kia; two, I had completely blown off Rob; three, Towson was MIA; and four, I knew the locations of seven more bodies.

Yes, you read that right. _Seven_. One more than six and one less than eight.

Not just one, but SEVEN bodies. I couldn't believe it. I thought I could only find people when I was entering my REM stage of sleep, or whatever.

Or maybe I had reached that, since I was so exhausted.

But I knew I had to find Towson and tell him. So I called his phone. He answered on like the fifth ring. He was down in the bar.

I shook my head after hanging up with him. _Down in the bar? Towson?_

I went in the bathroom, washed my face off, and pulled a brush through my hair. Then I grabbed my keys, cell phone, and door key and went downstairs to the bar.

And sure enough, Towson was sitting there. But he wasn't alone. He was sitting next to some blonde chick, who had her hands all over him. It made me sick just to look at it. But I was also happy that he was letting some blonde chick touch him like that. You know, that maybe he wasn't completely hung up on me.

I hated interrupting the little scene, but I had to.

I went over, bracing myself and sat down on the other side of him. The blonde chick immediately removed her hands from him, which made him frown. He looked at me and his face brightened again. "Hey, Jess," he said.

"Um, hi. Look, can I talk to you?"

He looked back at the blonde chick, who was looking a little put out, and then back at me. He nodded. He looked at Miss Pout and said, "I'll be right back."

"What is it, Jess?" he asked. Is it just me, or did he sound a little annoyed?

"I just woke up, Rich. And I realized…" Might as well get this part over with. "I know the locations of seven more bodies."

He didn't seem to understand me for a minute, but when he did…well, he was shocked. "_Seven_?"

I nodded. "I know. I don't know how, but here they are," I said, handing over the list and addresses. "Call Krantz for me and give him the locations."

He looked at me curiously. "What? Why can't you do it?" He glanced back at the blonde chick, who was taking a sip from her beer.

"Look, I would. But I have to go up and see my kid, okay? I promised her I would come see her tonight."

He sighed and nodded. "Okay." Then he pulled out his keys from his pocket and handed me the key to the car. "Call me if anything happens, okay?"

I nodded. "Will do. Thanks." I looked back at the chick, who was looking at us now. I sort of smiled. "And good luck," I said, nodding toward the blonde chick.

He smiled then. "Thanks," and then he went back to her.

And I went to the parking lot.

****

- § -

I pulled up in front of Rob's house nervously. What if he was still mad at me? Did he hate me now for what I did earlier?

I got out the car, my legs wobbling. _Steady_, I scolded them and managed to make it to the front door. I knocked on it anxiously.

The door was pulled open and there he was. Either he wasn't surprised to see me, or he just didn't care.

"Um, hi," I said meekly. I was trying to sound strong and in charge, but that didn't happen.

"Hi," he said, his voice completely devoid of emotion. This led me to believe that he was still mad at me.

So I tried to explain. "Look, Rob, about earlier-"

He held up a hand and then gestured for me to come in. "I don't wanna hear it."

"But, Rob-"

"Look, Jess, I get it, okay? You don't want me to meet her yet. I get it. I'll wait until you do."

I blinked. And then I realized what he was saying. "_What?_ Is that what you think? Of course I want you to meet her, Rob! What I told you earlier was true. I had other obligations-"

He snorted. "What, and me seeing my daughter isn't important?"

I groaned. I didn't want to do this right now. "Of course it's important, Rob. You know that. But I needed to get to a crime scene. There's this-" I stopped myself. I wanted to tell him about the case and this killer, but I couldn't. Not just because it was top secret information (that was leaked to the press, of course - which meant he probably knew what was going on), but because I didn't want him to be involved in it.

"This what?" he asked.

I sighed. "I can't tell you. But-"

"Can't tell me. Now why does that sound so _familiar_?"

I couldn't deal with that, him bringing up the past. I wanted to put that behind me, behind _us_.

"Don't do this right now," I snarled angrily. I pushed myself up from the chair I was in and turned to go. I couldn't deal with any of that right then.

Before I stomped out the door, I turned to him and said, in an even voice, "I didn't come here to argue with you, Rob. I'm sorry about earlier. But that's why I came. I'm trying to make it up to you."

He laughed harshly. I had the distinct impression that maybe he'd been drinking. "By doing what?" he asked sardonically. "Not telling me anything? Or let me guess, you were hoping I'd pull you in my arms and kiss you and tell you I love you, then take you upstairs and we'd make sweet love?"

He said all those words so harshly that it made me want to cry. And want to smack him. Oh, God, I wanted to march over to him and punch him _so_ hard. But I didn't. I stayed where I was and said, my voice cracking from being both angry and upset, "No. I came here to take you to see her. But if you really think that of me, then forget it." And then I spun around and headed to the door and walked out, him calling my name after me.

I just kept walking. I got in the car, turned it on. I didn't get to put it in drive, since he was at the door, yanking it open.

"You're not going there without me, Jess."

"Why? So you can yell at me the whole way there and tell me all of the things I've done wrong?"

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "No. I'm sorry. I don't know why I said those things. I just…I was really mad about before. You got me so excited to see her, and then you tell me I can't see her. It…" he trailed off, at a loss for words.

I set my jaw, refusing to give in. "I said I was sorry about that. I know you want to see her. But I was trying to prevent people from dying. Isn't that important, too?"

He looked down, as if ashamed. "Yeah, it is. Look, I'm sorry. I was wrong to say what I said. Can you just forget I said it?"

I shook my head. "No. I can't. It's not that easy."

He looked so sad. His eyes…oh, God. Why do I give in to him so easily? "But I can try and forgive you for it. Now get in."

He did so quickly and I started driving away.

**Review for me, please? Spring Break is finally here, so I might possibly get bored and get a new chapter up sometime soon. Although, you have to admit, I've been pretty good about updating regularly.**


	12. Meeting Kia

**Sorry about the wait! Talk about false promises. I'm going to give you my excuse: I have an AP test tomorrow and I've been cramming since before spring break. I thought I'd get some peace during the break, but I was doing mad practice problems. Oh, and the test? It's Calculus. Math, math, math. And some letters. 3 1/2 HOURS of it tomorrow morning. Good thing is: once it's done with, I don't have to do work anymore in school! And then I go off to college. Yay! **

**ANYway, on with Chapter 12:**

The hour long drive to Krane was a quiet one. It was also very, very uncomfortable. I had no idea what to say to ease the tension, and either Rob didn't either, or he was afraid to say anything else to me after what he said earlier.

Which could have been a good thing, considering I was still upset over what he did say. Which was what I was pretty much thinking about the whole way there.

Is that what he thought? That all I cared about was him kissing me and loving me and having sex with me? That our relationship was purely physical?

Wait…_relationship?_

Were we even back together? I wasn't too sure. I mean, last night was nice and all and I was sure that maybe we were something again. But what just happened recently…well, that made me second-guess our current relationship status.

When we finally arrived at Krane, I parked the car in the front and got out, letting out a gigantic sigh. Here we were…and I was nervous as hell.

Rob seemed a little tense, too, I noticed. He was walking a little stiffly, kind of like he had something shoved up…well, there. Not that I was looking there…too much.

But come on. I can't help it. The guy fills out his faded jeans really nice…both the back _and_ the front.

We walked in the building together and I started steering us in the direction of Kia's room. On the way, we ran into Allan.

He seemed pretty surprised to see us. "Jessica?" Then he saw Rob. "Mr. Wilkins? Well, what a pleasant surprise. What are you two doing here?"

He didn't even need to ask. Soon enough, he figured it out and excused himself.

If the mood between Rob and I was a little lighter, I would have laughed.

Finally we got to her door, and I opened it up with the key duplicate that I had been given. When I opened the door, I was not prepared for the sight that was before me.

Jill playing videogames with Kia. It was a hilarious sight. Seriously. I don't think I've ever seen Jill remotely looking like she's having fun. But she did look like it then. Like she was having fun, I mean.

They didn't hear us come in, so we just watched them for a few moments. I glanced at Rob, and his eyes were on Kia, his mouth slightly ajar.

So I finally cleared my throat loud enough that Jill turned around - Kia was still keenly tuned into the TV.

"Oh, hi, Jessica," she said, clearly embarrassed.

She noticed Rob and said, "oh," again. "I'll just, um, be leaving then. Have fun."

And she made her way toward the door. Then Kia turned around and said, "Where are you going, Jilly? We haven't finished our game."

I tried not to laugh. I mean, come on. _Jilly?_ It was funny.

Jill said modestly, "I think your mother wants to talk to you, honey. I'll be back later." And then she hightailed it out of there. Not that I blamed her. This would definitely be awkward for a little while.

Kia turned off the game and then got up off the floor and sat down on the bed. She looked curiously at Rob and I - and then I realized, we were standing a little _close_, but I didn't dare move.

"Who's he?" she asked, pointing at Rob.

I smiled at her, taking a seat beside her. I motioned for Rob to sit on the other side of her. He did so, but a little nervously.

"Kia," I started, not really sure of how to go about doing this. Telling her that Rob was her father. "Um…remember Stacey?"

She blinked and then nodded. "Yeah, she was my bestest friend in Florida. What 'bout her?" she asked, looking up at me with those big fog-colored eyes, so exactly like her father's.

"Well, remember how we went to eat over at her house that one night and you asked me how she has a daddy and you didn't?"

She nodded. "And you said I had a daddy, but I didn't know who he was yet."

I nodded. "Well, I think it's time you met him." And then I turned to Rob and took his hand. Kia noticed the exchange and I think she understood then.

Hey, for only being two-and-a-half years old, she was a pretty smart cookie.

"Kia, this is your daddy."

She looked at Rob, then back at me nervously. I nodded and she looked at him again. "So you're my daddy?" she asked adorably.

Rob smiled and nodded, saying softly, "Yeah, I am."

And they bonded like you wouldn't believe it. I ended up excusing myself to the bathroom, because I was afraid I'd start sobbing happily right then and there, to my utter embarrassment.

So I let them bond and be together like they couldn't have been before. And when I came out of the bathroom, they were playing videogames like they were never apart for the two and a half years since she was born.

It was a sight to behold and I started crying. Not loud sobs, but tears were definitely running down my face, that I mopped up before they could see them.

And soon enough, Kia was yawning and slumping into Rob. He laughed and lifted her up, placing her in her bed, where she plopped her thumb in her mouth and fell right asleep.

Rob went over and turned the game off, while I tucked her in and kissed her forehead. I felt a smile creep onto my face. _This_ is what it's supposed to be like. A normal family. A mother and daughter…and a father.

The smile stayed glued to my face as I went over to Rob, who was standing there, his back facing me. Feeling impulsive, I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed my face into his back.

He turned around in my arms, placing his hands on my hips. "Hey," he said.

My smile stayed put, because I was genuinely happy. This night - well, after we arrived at Krane - could not have gone any better.

"So, what do you think?" I asked.

He smiled and then leaned down and kissed me softly. "Thank you. For taking me here."

"No need to thank me. I'm glad you two finally met."

"So am I," he said. "I just can't believe…what do we do now?"

I shrugged. "Go home. Fall asleep."

He smiled mischievously down at me and I wondered what he was thinking until he said, "Can we do something in between those two?"

I grinned. "Thought you'd never ask," I whispered and kissed him, completely forgiving him for his comment earlier. Best not to dwell over it. I knew he didn't mean it.

Rob broke our liplock, but kept his arms around me. We both looked back at Kia, who was still sleeping soundly and went out of the room together.

We went to find Jill, to tell her that we were leaving. She was easy to find; her and Allan were in the conference room, discussing something. I didn't want to interrupt, because I noticed that they were a little close…

But I did anyway. I didn't want Kia alone for too long. Jill nodded when I told her we were leaving and she headed down to Kia's room. I noticed then that Allan looked a little worse for wear.

"What's up?" I said, finally removing myself from Rob's arms and heading over to Allan.

He looked up at me and shook his head. It was then that I really noticed the creases around his eyes and mouth. Like I actually noticed that he was older than me.

"Nothing," he said.

I snorted. "Right."

He gave me a look, one that pretty much said, "go away and leave me alone." But I didn't buy it.

"No, seriously," I said. "Why so glum, chum?"

He rolled his eyes and turned away from me. I looked back at Rob and noticed that he had politely removed himself from the room.

I scooted closer to him and laid a hand on his arm. He looked back at me. "Come on, Allan. Talk about it. It'll make things better."

He sighed and nodded. It was weird, seeing Allan like this. He was usually so uptight about things, but he never looked unhappy. Well, maybe with me, but not like he did then, like nothing would ever be okay in his life again.

"My wife and I just got divorced."

Oh. _Oh_.

Well, that made sense.

I didn't really know what to say. I mean, I did feel bad, but I didn't want to go all cliché and be all, "Oh, I'm so sorry."

Instead, I decided to try and joke. "Well, now that means you and Jill can shack up without any consequences."

He cracked a smile and then I knew everything would be all right. I got up and said I'd see him later and then left with Rob.

All the way to the car I was wondering, _Well, _were_ they shacking up?_

I mean, not that it was any of my business. But still, they were standing a little too close to _not_ be somehow intimately involved.

I shuddered at that thought. Kinda gross.

Rob looked down at me. I was in his arms again. "Cold?" he asked and I shook my head, loving the feel of his nice, strong arms around me.

"Just thinking about something that I shouldn't be," I said lightly.

He smiled amusedly, obviously knowing what I was thinking about. We got back in the car and I started driving back to his house.

**Review, please! It might ease my nerves...**


	13. I Told You So

**New chapter finally! Sorry about the wait. Again. I guess I've just had a lot on my mind and it's been preventing my creative juices from flowing. Or something like that. So yeah. Here's Chapter 13. I think some of you will like this one especially. :D**

_I found two more of them. Two more kids that were kidnapped from completely crimeless towns._

_And the day after I found the second one, Skip got into a car accident. He was unconscious, had broken more bones than they could identify at the scene. He was admitted to ICU and had to stay there for a week until he was stable. Then he was in the hospital for another two weeks. And then when he got out, he was on bed rest for six months._

_All because of me._

_I found all that out from Krantz though. By the time he was out of ICU, I was gone._

_The day that Skip was in the "accident," I remember waking up to my cell phone ringing. I picked it up and Ruth was sobbing in my ear. I remember asking her what was wrong, and she told me, "It's S-S-Skip."_

_I blinked and was a little confused. Then I was really worried. "What? What happened?"_

_She just sobbed again. So I tried, "Where are you?"_

_"The h-hopsital."_

_I nodded to myself and told her I would be right over. When I got there, she was too shaken up to tell me anything. I just hugged her and told her everything would be okay. I ended up getting the story out of Ruth's dad, since he was the only one that was able to talk coherently. _

_At first I was shocked and then I was thinking,_ Maybe this wasn't an accident. _I shook my head of that thought and stayed with Ruth._

_Then I figured we should go. I didn't think staying in the hospital would do either of us good. And besides, there was something I needed to tell her._

_So instead of going back to either of our houses, we went over to Ernie Pyle High, and sat down on the infamous bleachers and talked, for old time's sake._

_I finally got around to telling her._

_"Ruth, there….well, there's something I need to tell you."_

_She looked at me with rapt attention. Like I was going to spill some huge secret. Which, I guess, was what it was. "What is it?"_

_I sighed and wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hold myself together._

_"I'm pregnant."_

_And her mouth dropped open. I felt like making a wise-crack, like, "Close the barn door, you're letting the flies in." But I didn't, because I couldn't get myself around to it. I was too shocked with myself, too. I hadn't really let myself think about it until at the hospital._

_"Are you…are you serious?" was what she finally said._

_I nodded._

_"When did you find out?"_

_I sighed. "A week ago."_

_"And you just tell me now?" she asked, a little irritated._

_I shrugged. "I guess I wasn't letting myself think about it. Until today."_

_It was her turn to comfort me. She leaned over and hugged me. "It's going to be okay, Jess."_

_I hugged her back. "You, too. Skip's gonna be fine."_

_She nodded and I felt her tears through my shirt. When she pulled away again, she asked, "So, what are you going to do? Have you told Rob yet?"_

_"I don't know and no."_

_She sighed heavily. "You really need to tell him, Jess."_

_I sighed, too. "I know. I just don't know how to."_

_"If you want, I'll go with you."_

_I shook my head. "No. I have to do it alone. I just don't know how I'm going to tell him." I looked her dead in the eye and said what I had really been feeling about telling him. "I mean, what if he wants nothing to do with me? With _us_?"_

_She shook her head at that. "I don't think he'd do that, Jess. I mean, yeah, I may have nicknamed him_ The Jerk _but that was a while ago. I really do believe that he loves you and will stick by you no matter what."_

_Which made me smile, because Ruth is usually right about people. We hugged again and just stayed like that until Ruth's mom called her._

_"They're staying at the hospital," she told me after she hung up with her mother. "So that means I gotta fend for myself tonight."_

_"Wanna sleep over?" I asked, to which she nodded emphatically. I didn't blame her. I wouldn't want to stay at my house all alone either._

_But when we got back to my house and went upstairs, I found another note. This one reading:_ I told you so.

_That was it. I told you so._

_And I knew two things: one, that Skip's "accident" wasn't really an accident, and two, that I was dealing with something bigger than me._

****

- § -

I was really nervous about going back to Rob's place. I mean, don't get me wrong: I _so_ wanted to go back to his house. I wasn't stupid, I knew what was going to happen. And I'd be stupid to not look forward to something like _that_ with someone like _him_.

But it's like…well, it's been a while. You know, since anything like that has happened between us. And yeah, I may have forgiven him for his comment earlier…but wasn't I playing right into what he said? Wasn't I hoping he'd pull me in his arms and kiss me and tell me he loves me, then take me upstairs and we'd make sweet love?

Of course I was. I think that's what hurt the most when he had said that. That all of that was so completely true. But that's probably why he said it, because he knew it was true. And since he was hurt, he knew that would hurt me back.

I pulled up in the driveway and turned the car off. Rob and I just sat there for a few minutes, me not knowing what to do and him…well, I wasn't quite sure what he was thinking.

Once again I remember asking myself why I couldn't read minds instead of find people.

Finally, after about five minutes, Rob turned to me. "Maybe we should go inside."

I wasn't sure if it was just me, but I could have sworn that he sounded a little nervous. But that sort of made me more at ease, knowing that it wasn't just me.

I nodded to him, indicating that yes, maybe we should go inside. I opened the door and stepped down from the SUV and onto the gravel driveway. It crunched underneath my shoes.

Rob came around to my side and took my hand in his. I smiled to myself. _This_, I thought, _is what it's supposed to be like._

He led me in the house and into the kitchen, asking me if I wanted something to eat. He looked at me as I answered. I could tell he wanted me to say no so we could go upstairs.

So who was I to stop him from getting what he wanted?

I smiled, saying, "I'm not really hungry for food…"

Rob understood what I was saying. He grinned and came over to me, wrapping his arms around my waist and bringing me as close as possible to him. He planted his lips on mine and then moved to my neck, kissing the flesh there softly.

"God…" he breathed against my neck. "I've missed this so much." His lips moved down to my collarbone. "I've missed _you_ so much."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and tickled the skin there with my fingers, grazing them over the soft flesh. I looked into his fog-colored eyes, saying, "You took the words right out of my mouth."

"That's not the only thing I'll be taking out of your mouth tonight," he growled against my neck.

If I wasn't so aroused I would have been offended. But all he had to do was slip his hand under my shirt and I was a goner.

His lips once again moved to my own. He kissed me so deeply that my knees buckled beneath me. I was a little embarrassed that my body reacted like that to him. Rob didn't seem to care, though. He caught me and held me there. Then he seemed to think that I couldn't stand at all, so he picked me up. My legs involuntarily wrapped around his waist.

Rob grinned at me as he whispered in my ear, "Shall we go upstairs?"

I nodded emphatically. "Only if you don't want to do it on the couch."

He grinned even wider. "A tempting thought. But I believe my bed is _much _more comfortable than that ratty old couch."

"If you insist," I said, my voice getting a little husky. I pressed myself against him further, indicating that he should get a move on.

He did and moments later I was sprawled out on his king size bed, him on top of me. He slid his knee in between my legs and pinned me to the bed with his weight, but not so it was uncomfortable. Trust me, it was _very_ comfortable.

He rested his hand on my waist, sort of holding me against him. His other hand was a little busy working its way up my shirt. His mouth was another story. It was making me go crazy, kissing up and down my neck, then dipping down to my collarbone.

Then his one hand grabbed the hem of my shirt and started lifting it over my head. I guess it was getting in the way of his kiss-ploration. Not that I minded. It was great having his succulent lips pressed against my chest, the places that my bra didn't cover.

"You're so beautiful," he mumbled into my cleavage.

I almost laughed. I knew I had a smile in my voice as I said, "Me or my boobs?"

He looked up and gave me a lopsided grin. "Would it upset you if I said both?" As he said that, I reached for his shirt and slipped it over his head.

This time I did laugh. "Not at all. You just have to say it to my face _some_times."

And with that, he brought his lips to my own and gave me a soft kiss. He looked in my eyes and said, "You're gorgeous."

I smiled sunnily up at him. "Somehow you sounded more enthusiastic when you were talking to my boobs."

He grinned at me. "What can I say? I'm a man."

That statement was even more pronounced when I felt a certain part of his anatomy pressing against my thigh. I felt myself smile. It's a real ego-booster, when a guy gets that way because of you. Seriously. I was thinking to myself, 'Me? He's getting that way because of _me_?'

After feeling him pressed against me, I knew I had to get his pants off. So while he was still focused on my chest, I started with the buttons on his jeans and then the zipper, and then I started tugging them down his perfectly formed legs.

Rob looked at me once his pants were on the floor. He gave me part of his infamous smile. Part, because instead of it being half-amused, half-disgusted, it was half-amused, half-aroused. And that was fine with me.

"A little eager?" he asked.

I shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a woman."

This time he was the one that laughed. And then he took the liberty of removing _my_ jeans.

And then soon enough, both of us were completely naked. He was poised at my entrance and I had this familiar feeling of being antsy. Why wouldn't he just _do_ it already? I was writhing under him. I was so worked up, so _aroused_, that I couldn't wait any longer.

Finally, I just grabbed his hips and pushed him into me. Rob groaned, but definitely like he was enjoying it. And I…well, I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I did a little more than groan.

It felt like only seconds (although, it was _definitely_ longer than that) later that my name slipped raggedly from his lips and he collapsed next to me, a fine sheen of sweat coating his skin.

Rob rolled over and hugged me to him. "I love you so much," he panted into my hair.

I grinned and hugged him back. "I love you more," I said. And then I was thinking, _Oh, God, did I really just say that?_ It must be the post-coital thing. Seriously. Normally I would never be all 'I love you more.' Only clingy, preppy girls do that.

But apparently after sex I do it, too.

Rob's hand came to my face and he thumbed my cheek. "I don't know…" he whispered, mocking contemplation.

I leaned forward and gave him a soft kiss. "I do."

After a couple more rounds, Rob and I were completely exhausted and decided to give it a rest for the night. But while he was ready to sleep the night away, I was a little restless.

I looked at his alarm clock and noticed that it was almost four in the morning. I had been trying to sleep for two hours, to no avail. Sighing, I decided to get up. I grabbed Rob's shirt and yanked it over my head, and then headed downstairs.

After putting some water on the stove, I sat down in a chair at the kitchen table and waited for the water to boil. God, it was taking forever. A watched pot never boils, as the saying goes. It felt so true then. So while I was waiting for the water to boil, I started thinking about the recent case.

I just could not get over what this guy was doing. I felt myself asking the same unanswered questions: Why was he doing this? What was his motive? What was he trying to accomplish by poisoning these people?

And most important in this case, _where_ was he doing this stuff?

I mean, Towson and I had been to a bunch of the sights where the bodies were found. But those had all just been dumping grounds. They were never places where he actually did his work. So where was he doing it?

I sighed. If only Paoli Hospital was still open. At least then we might have gotten some answers. The guy's ex-coworkers had to have known something.

And then, just as the kettle started whistling, I knew it. This time, I didn't need my psychic powers to figure out where this killer was.

I got up from my chair, turned the stove off, and headed back upstairs. I needed to get over there, right now. It would take too long to call Towson and head over there. I was going by myself.

But not, you know, in just Rob's shirt. I needed to get back in my own clothes. Luckily, as I was changing, Rob was still asleep.

Then, of course, my luck changed. Rob stirred and noticed me fully clad. "Leaving so soon?" he asked groggily.

I tried to act nonchalant. Maybe he wouldn't suspect anything. "Yeah. I need to get back to the hotel."

He sat up straighter in the bed. Oh, crap. He noticed something. "What for?" he asked, a note of suspicion leaking in his voice.

I gulped noticeably. "Um, you know. Some feminine supplies…" Lame excuse, but it was all I had at the moment. But of course, Rob definitely knew I didn't have my period. As gross as it sounds, he would have been able to tell. So he knew I was lying.

Then he started to move. Wrapping the sheet around him, he got out of bed and came over to me. He stood so close to me that it was almost suffocating. I could feel his breath on me. I was also vividly aware of my own heart beating, and the fact that it was speeding up, simply because he was standing that close to me.

He looked down into my eyes and asked carefully, "Mastriani, what are you doing?"

I looked away, staring at his jeans crumpled on the floor. "Nothing, Rob. I just…I need to go."

He scrutinized me for a few moments. I don't know how much he saw on my face. The room wasn't even completely dark. The way the house was built, the moon shines in through this room brilliantly, so he could see my face fine.

Whatever he saw on my face, he didn't question. He just said, "Then I'm coming with you."

So he knew. He knew what I was going to do, or at least the gist of it. And he didn't ask about Towson or anything, so he had to have figured that I was going to do it alone. It was foolish, going to explore a case on my own - I was always told as a trainee not to go anywhere alone. But…this had to be done. I had to know.

But the fact that Rob thought he was coming with me…that was what I didn't want - Rob coming with me. "Rob," I started, looking into his eyes, pleading with him silently to let me go by myself.

When this didn't work, I sighed and said, "No. I have to go alone. I can't involve you in it."

He gave me a look and said, "You're not involving me. I'm involving myself."

And then he started throwing his clothes on.

"Rob," I protested as he was doing so. "You can't. I'm leaving now." And I headed for the door to the room. "Don't follow me." I ran down the stairs and out the front door.

Of course, I didn't really expect him to heed this warning. And if I did, I would have been sorely disappointed.

Rob was right behind me. I stepped toward my car, but he stopped me. "No," he said. "My bike is better."

And I had to agree with him. His Indian was barely audible and I would need that in the dark, if this guy was where I thought he was.

One more time I tried to get him to let me go. "Rob, this could be dangerous. I just can't let you get involved in this. I don't know what I'd do if…" I trailed off, not uttering the unspeakable.

Rob understood, but he was still stubborn. Probably as stubborn as I am, which was saying something.

"That may be so, Jess, but maybe you should think about me for a change." I glanced sharply at him. What was he _talking_ about? That's exactly what I was doing!

Rob saw how I interpreted his remark and he amended, "Did you think what it would be like for me if you went by yourself and never came back? And that I just _let_ you?" He shook his head. "If you think I would just let you go by yourself, then you really don't know me."

I sighed and shrugged, taking the helmet from his outstretched hand. "I had to try," I mumbled, shoving the helmet on my head.

The subtle light from the moon framed his face. He smiled at me and tapped the helmet. The sound echoed through the empty space between the helmet and my head. "Get on."

He started the bike up, but I ran toward my car to grab my gun (and one for Rob too. I didn't think he should be unarmed). I hopped on the back of the Indian and wrapped my arms around his waist. Then we were cruising through our hometown's back roads as I told him our destination. And then I had this familiar sense of déjà vu.

I smiled to myself. Just like old times.


	14. Paoli Hospital: Take Two

_I looked at all the palm trees around me with wonder. A horrible realization crept through my brain: This place isn't home. It wasn't just the palm trees that made me realize that. It was also the people that I was surrounded by: strangers with khaki Bermuda shorts, tacky sleeveless shirts, Keds, and prescription sunglasses._

_And worst of all, FBI agents._

_Yes, I did it. I finally joined them for good. I really had no choice in the matter, though. Well, I suppose I did. You _always_ have a choice. But my choices were bewtween having people I knew and loved injured and killed or moving away to protect them all. So naturally, I did what was best for everyone._

_And that was moving away._

_It was horrible. I couldn't tell anyone. I had to let everybody assume I was fine. Even though I was far from it. Rob and Ruth could definitely tell something was up. But both of them respected my privacy. For some reason, it was easier lying to Ruth than it was to Rob. I ended up just pushing him away, making him think that I didn't care about him anymore. And he just ate it up. He left me alone._

_And that was the worst. That he believed me. I cried myself to sleep for the week that I had left._

_Actually, I sort of lied. I did tell two people that I was leaving. Ruth and Douglas. Ruth, because she's my best friend, and she wouldn't try to stop me from leaving, like Rob would (even though I didn't tell her to her face - I sent her a letter after the fact). And Douglas, because he's my brother. Because I knew that if anyone needed to know that I would be leaving, it was him._

_But that's all that I told them. That I was leaving and I had no idea when I would be back._

_And I never told Rob about me being pregnant. God, I wanted to. I knew that he needed to know. But if I had told him, one of two things would happen: he would want nothing to do with me or our child (and that would just break my heart), or he would never leave me alone. And if that happened, I would never be able to leave Indiana successfully._

_It took a while to get used to living in the Sunshine State. Krantz got an apartment for me to live in, with Chigger and my baby when she was born. Because I was keeping it, no matter what. And I wanted to be surprised. I didn't find out whether the baby was a boy or a girl until I gave birth. But I had two names picked out: Kia if it was a girl, and, of course, Robert, if it was a boy. It didn't matter whether Rob knew or not, I would still name our kid after him._

_But the baby ended up being a girl, and I named her Kia Mary Mastriani. Mary, because I adored Rob's mother. I figured she needed to have a part in the child, too. I would have named her after my own mother, but considering my middle name was my own mother's name, it would be a little weird, my daughter and I having the same middle name._

_But anyway, I eventually adjusted to Florida. And I met a bunch of new people while training with the FBI (after I gave birth to Kia - I needed to lose the baby weight, too). Richard Towson, for one, even though he was a couple years older than me. Actually, there was no one there _my _age. Everyone was at least two or three years older than me._

_I worked on my first "real" case. That was actually a continuation of what I left undone in Indiana. I finally caught the guy that caused me so much pain, although I never once met him. Except when he was in jail. He ended up dying in there, from a severe allergic reaction - from being stung by a bee. For me, it seemed like the way he died didn't do it justice, but I was happy that he was no longer able to threaten me or people I cared about again._

_And you would think that after that I would have gone back to Indiana. I should have. But…I guess I was scared. I didn't know what people would think of me, after a year. And with Kia, too? I just couldn't bear the criticism, the looks on my family's faces when they saw that I was back. I couldn't bear the questions._

_So I stayed in Florida. Eventually I was making enough money that I bought my own house and car, and Kia, Chigger, and I lived peacefully._

_But then I had to go back, when Krantz called me up that day._

**- § -**

"This it?" Rob asked softly over his shoulder.

I tightened my grip around his waist involuntarily. Something about this old run-down hospital gave me the creeps.

I nodded and whispered, "Yeah." I was nervous. What would I find here? Would I even find anything? I found myself silently thanking Rob for insisting on coming with me. I wasn't sure whether I would have been able to face this place - and what was potentially inside of it - by myself.

Rob and I silently got off the bike and he stashed it behind some bushes, but not before grabbing a flashlight out of its compartment. Now why didn't I think of that? I scoffed at myself. And _I_ was the FBI agent.

Rob looked at me as we stealthily headed over to the back entrance. His eyes sparkled in the moonlight. I smiled as I realized what was flashing through his eyes. Love. Well, and concern. But the concern stemmed from the love.

I grasped his hand in mine and pulled him closer. "I love you," I whispered to him.

I could feel more than see him smile. "I know. I love you, too." He looked around for a second, seeming to contemplate something. Then he looked down at me and kissed me quickly. "Just in case," he whispered.

I didn't ask the question that was going through my mind after that statement: Just in case…_what_? But I knew the answer: Just in case something happened to one of us.

I suppose this didn't seem that dangerous. I mean, so what if we found this killer's lair (if it even _was_ his lair)? I've done these things before. I've been held at gunpoint - and not to mention knifepoint - before. I was scared those times, yes. But…not as scared and worried as I was sneaking into that hospital with Rob.

Call it a sixth sense. I could feel something was wrong. And I guess Rob could, too. Or he could sense my fear. Or maybe both.

But whatever it was, his kiss gave me the strength I needed to go through with this mission.

"Come on," Rob said, squeezing my hand and leading me through the back. The door was boarded up - or should I say doorway? Because there was no door. That was how we were able to slip in. I could squeeze through the boards that were nailed to the building, obscuring the doorway. Once I was in, I went over to a window and opened it up for Rob to slip through, since he was too big to slip through the boards. We didn't want to make any noise, that's why we were doing it the quiet way.

I couldn't see anything in the darkness. The moon was above the building, so its light wasn't able to spill through the windows. I heard a click and started as a beam of light illuminated my legs. I looked up, but I couldn't see Rob. I could only see his hand around the flashlight's shaft. This unnerved me.

The beam got shorter and soon I felt Rob's hand in mine. "Come on," he whispered in my ear. He tugged on my hand and led the way with the flashlight. We saw papers scattered on the ground, yellowed from age. The rooms on the ground floor were in complete disarray: beds flipped over, utensils all over the floor, tubes lying haphazardly over fallen chairs and stools.

I shuddered and kept walking. The complete abandonment of this place gave me the creeps.

And then _that_ thought had me shuddering.

Because, I now knew for a fact, this place wasn't completely abandoned. There was someone in here. Possibly _living_ in here.

And he had killed many, many people.

Just then, my phone vibrated in my pocket. The building was so still, so quiet, that my phone might as well have been ringing. I could feel Rob looking at me.

I was going to just hang up on whoever it was. But then I saw who was calling. It was my dad.

My dad. What…how did he get my number?

Shaking suddenly, I knew I had to answer. He wouldn't call me if something wasn't wrong.

"Hello?" I whispered into the phone.

"Jess? Honey?" It was my dad's voice, of course. "I'm sorry to bother you, honey. It's just-" He broke off and I could hear his labored breathing, the unsteadiness that was in his voice.

"Dad, what's wrong?"

I heard him take a deep breath. "Douglas is missing."

I was floored. My feet wouldn't take another step. The phone dropped to the floor and I heard Rob asking softly, "What's wrong?"

Seeing that I wasn't responding, he shone the flashlight on the ground and found my phone. He started talking to my dad.

"Oh my God," he said into the receiver after a couple seconds. "Okay, okay. She…she looks likes she's had a shock…" He nodded, obviously to something my dad said. "Did you call the police?" He was still talking softly. "Alright…She…we're…Well we're not really in a state to…" He trailed off. I knew my dad would get the wrong message at that.

I finally got my bearings back and grabbed the phone from him. "Dad? Look, I'll find him. Call Krantz." I gave him the number. "Tell him everything. I'll be there as soon as I can."

After I hung up, I realized something. Well, two things.

One: my dad probably thought that Rob and I were in bed together (which wasn't too far off, if you think about it - it was only a few hours before that we were).

And two: it was no use to try and find Douglas, because I suddenly realized where he was. And if I didn't find him soon, he would be in big trouble.

"Jess?" Rob's voice sounded concerned. "What is it?"

I felt tears pricking at the back of my eyes. _Oh, God, not now!_ "It's…it's Douglas. He's…oh, my God, Rob, he's…"

"…here?" Rob finished for me, realizing what was going on.

_He has Douglas,_ I realized then. The serial killer had Douglas. He was going to inject Douglas with something as another experiment. Douglas was handicapped, not physically, but mentally. Douglas had schizophrenia.

I knew, if I didn't get moving then, I wouldn't be able to stop this guy.

I tugged on Rob's arm and started running blindly in front of me. Rob at least realized what I was doing and shone the light in front of me. "Where are you going?" he hissed.

Where _was_ I going? I wasn't too sure. But I had an image in my head of a room. And I was heading there. "Just follow me," I said. There was really no point in trying to whisper anymore. The guy must have heard us by now.

"What do you think I'm doing?" came Rob's voice behind me.

I ran up three flights of stairs until I got to the fourth floor. And then I ran down the hallway, took a right, and then a quick left, and ended up in front of room 414A. The door was closed, but I could see that there was a light on.

Now why couldn't I see that light from outside? But then I realized that this room must not have a window view. That's how he was concealing himself.

Rob stopped behind me and whispered in my ear, "This it?" I nodded. "Let's just do it," he whispered. "Get it over with."

I nodded again. I took a deep breath and opened the door, slamming the door against the wall.

I pointed my gun into the room and that's when I saw them. The serial killer and my brother, who was blindfolded and lying down on a gurney.

The serial killer smiled when I came in the room.

"Ah," he said, completely calm. "I was wondering when you'd show up." He looked up from what he was doing when I gasped. His eyes, so green and…_God_. I was right. It really _did_ feel like he was looking into my soul.

I shook myself and pointed the gun at him. "Get away from him."

That's when Douglas stirred. "Jess?" he asked. "Is that really you?"

"Yeah, Douglas, it's me. You'll be out of here soon."

Still pointing at the killer, I said, "Back up against the wall, hands where I can see them." He didn't hesitate to do what I said. I was surprised by this. I thought he would put up more of a fight.

While I was watching him, Rob came in and went to untie my brother.

"Leave him there," the killer said to Rob. Rob looked at him and rolled his eyes, continuing to untie Douglas.

"I mean it, I haven't finished with him." When Rob didn't listen, he moved to reach for a scalpel.

"Hey, hey," I said, aiming the gun at him. "Put it down."

He did as I said, but gave Rob a lingering glare. "You don't know what you're doing. I'm trying to help him."

I scoffed. "Like those other people you killed? You were trying to help them too?"

And surprisingly, he nodded. "Yes, I was. I was trying to cure them."

Cure them? "Of _what_?"

He looked at me like I was an idiot. "You found the bodies. They must have been autopsied." He waited for it to click, but it didn't. "And you call yourself an FBI agent? Huh." When I continued to just stare at him, he said, "I was trying to cure them of their handicaps. There's a connection in all of them. Every handicap has a connection, so naturally the cure should be the same."

Oh, what a retard. My God.

"Yeah? But did you think that these people were okay with these handicaps? That they didn't _need_ to be "cured"?"

He shrugged. "Sure they did."

Seeing that Rob was finished with Doug, I tossed him my cell phone. "Call Rich," I said, not taking my eyes - and gun - off of the sick bastard in front of me. "And tell him where we are and to come here as soon as he can."

Rob did and after a couple of strange words passed, he hung up. "He's on his way," Rob said to me.

But right after the words were out of his mouth, Doug started acting funny. He collapsed against the bed and started breathing heavily. "Douglas?" I asked uncertainly.

The killer smiled. "The cure is taking effect. Let's see if I finally have it."

He gave it to him, the bastard!

And while I was momentarily distracted, the killer reached for the scalpel and threw it, full force, at me. I wasn't quick enough. It lodged itself into my thigh. And let me tell you, it fucking hurt!

I dropped the gun with a cry, but Rob was quick and grabbed it. I was grateful that he did this instead of come to my aid. I could deal. Rob pointed the gun at him and shot it. But right next to him, to scare him. And then, as he was reaching for another utensil, Rob shot his hand and the killer screamed in agony.

Well, he deserved it. I had a scalpel in my leg because of him. I didn't dare touch it, though. There was no way I was taking that out right yet. I needed to mentally prepare myself for it.

Meanwhile, Douglas started moaning. "Douglas?" He didn't respond.

The killer looked up from his wounded hand, as Rob bent down to me, still aiming the gun at him.

"Damn," the killer said angrily, while looking at Douglas. "It didn't work."

He might as well have thrown a scalpel through my heart, because that's exactly what it felt like when those words hit my ears.

I needed to get to Douglas. Enough mental preparing. I yanked the scalpel out of my leg, crying out in pain, and tossed it under the bed, out of the killer's reach. Rob came to me worriedly.

"No," I said. "Watch him until Towson gets here."

He nodded, knowing that that was more important than comforting me at the moment. I saw in his eyes that it pained him, not being able to help and comfort me. He took his shirt off, though, and tossed it to me. "For your leg." I nodded and started wrapping the fabric tightly around my thigh.

I crawled over to where Douglas was on the bed. He looked bad. His face was a sickly alabaster and his lips were ashen. He was sweating profusely, but shivering at the same time.

It didn't take much to know that something was seriously wrong.

I looked around for something to wipe his face with. I didn't see any type of cloth around. The bed was stripped bare and I didn't see any napkins or towels, and I was in no shape to search for one. So I took my own shirt off and mopped at Douglas's face. "Hey," I said soothingly to him. "You're gonna be okay."

"It's no use," the killer said. "It's not long now."

"Douglas," I said, ignoring him. "I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you."

I heard an ambulance wailing and screeching tires. I could hear Towson running down the hall and finally he was there. "Jesus Christ," he said, noticing what was happening, and what had already happened.

The EMT guys were rushing in. They started helping me and I screamed, "No! Get him, you idiots!" They didn't take offense, and started getting Douglas onto the gurney and wheeling him out of the hospital.

Just then I realized the irony of that. He was injured in a hospital - as was I - and he was being taken _to_ another hospital. The thought made me laugh, and Rob and Towson sent me worried glances.

"Is she delirious?" Rich asked Rob.

I glowered at him. "I'm not delirious, you ass. I just had a scalpel thrown in my leg. Okay? Now help me up."

He did so after putting cuffs around the killer. Soon there were cops in the room taking him away.

Rob came over to me and grabbed my hand. He looked at my anxious face. "He'll be fine," he said assuredly.

Any other person would assume that I was upset over my injury, but Rob knew me too well. "Did you see him, Rob? I can't imagine him recovering from that…" And my vision was getting blurry. I realized I was crying.

Rob leaned over and wrapped his arms around me, caring not to jostle my leg. "Hey," he whispered into my hair and repeated, "He'll be fine."

I lifted my head from his chest, tears streaking down my cheeks. "You promise?"

He smiled at me, wiped the tears away from my face, and then leaned in and kissed me sweetly. "I promise," he said, resting his forehead against mine. His arms tightened around me and I wrapped my arms around his waist.

But then Towson cleared his throat. "Sorry to interrupt," he said, although he really didn't sound sorry, just uncomfortable. "But Jess, your leg needs to get checked out."

I looked down at the appendage in question and gasped. I had ignored the pain, so I wasn't really concerned with my leg until then, when I saw that my jeans, as well as Rob's shirt, were soaked through with blood around the area that I was hit. "Fuck," I said.

It wasn't too bad, just the sight of that much blood coming out of me had me worried. Rob and Towson as well, but the EMT that checked me out later told me - and especially them - that it looked worse than it really was.

The EMT guy came in for me and I immediately asked questions about Douglas. "Miss, I really don't know anything. He was pretty bad when they took him away, but they were able to stabilize him in the ambulance."

I nodded. I knew there was no more information he could give me. He unwrapped Rob's shirt from me, and then I realized that I was topless as well. Thank God I remembered to put my bra back on at Rob's house.

The EMT bandaged my leg up, then another guy came in to wheel me out. Rob followed and came in the ambulance with me. Towson looked a little left out, but he got in the unmarked SUV provided by the FBI and headed over to our town's hospital.

When we got to the hospital, the doctor who was assigned to me - whose name I completely forgot - staunched the blood flow and bandaged my leg up. He told me that he had to keep me here for a little longer just to make sure everything else was alright. After that, he turned to Rob and handed him some extra bandages. "She'll need the bandages changed twice a day." I guess the doctor assumed that I was living with Rob, which made me smile.

Some nurses came in after the doctor left and were checking the machines. I pressed them for information on Douglas, but they kept telling me that they knew nothing. I sighed dramatically and they left me alone with Rob - finally.

Rob pulled the chair up close to the bed and wrapped his hand around my own. He could tell that I was worried about Douglas. "Hey," he said, his voice so soft that it made me look up to meet his gaze. "He's going to be okay."

I nodded. I wanted to believe him, but…I couldn't forget how Douglas had looked at the run-down Paoli Hospital. He had looked so near death and…

"Jess," came Rob's voice in my ear. He had moved so close to me, and then wrapped his arms around me. "Trust me, he'll be fine."

I nodded again. I looked up from where my head was leaning against his chest. "Can you…"

Rob understood what I was asking and got in the bed with me. It was a tight squeeze, but he managed to lie next to me and hold me, without hurting my leg.

I snuggled in closer to him. "I'm glad you're here with me."

Rob smiled and kissed my hair. "I am too."

Soon enough, my eyelids started getting heavy and I drifted off to sleep.

**Review please!**


	15. Visiting Douglas

When I woke up the sun was blazing through the window in the hospital room - I had probably been out for a few hours, considering we were at Paoli Hospital at four a.m. The bed was empty except for me, and I realized Rob must have moved since I fell asleep.

I looked around the room, and there he was in the corner, slumped in one of the most uncomfortable looking armchairs ever. He looked to be asleep, and I wondered why he had moved. I didn't want to disturb him, since I'm sure he needed the sleep. However, I had to resort to other things to keep me occupied.

Such as think. And that usually leads to trouble.

As I was thinking, I recalled everything that had happened before I had fallen asleep.

And then…_Douglas!_

I started panicking. Where was he? Was he okay? My mind started buzzing with a million questions.

I began to get out of the bed, was just about to rip the IV out of my arm and go look for my brother, when a nurse came in. She noticed what I was about to do and clucked her tongue. "No," she said. "Lay back down."

Seriously. Like I was a dog, or something.

Speaking of dogs, where was Chigger? I hoped Towson was taking care of him.

I grumbled and laid back down obediently. Something about that nurse just made me do what she said. Not that she was any Nurse Ratched or anything, but still.

She came over and checked my vitals as I started asking about Douglas.

"Hush, child," she said to me, which got me mad. Who was she to tell me to hush?

Noticing that I was rather peeved with what she said, she added, "Just give me a minute to finish up here and I'll tell you about your brother."

I wasn't sure whether she was purposely trying to be suspenseful, or what, but it was killing me, not knowing what was happening with my brother.

Rob grumbled in the corner and shifted. Then he opened his eyes and looked around, those foggy visions of blue finally landing on me. He smiled and got up out of the chair, coming over and sitting beside me.

The nurse noticed this and gave a slight smile. She came over and lifted the sheet up from my body and checked my leg. And when she was done changing the bandages, she finally started telling me about Douglas.

"Calm down, child, he's fine. It took the doctors a while to even find out what was in his system. Whatever that kook injected in him gave his immune system a hell of a battle."

Rob slipped his hand in mine and squeezed it, letting me know that he was there and that I could rely on him. I squeezed his back, letting him know that I knew that.

The nurse continued, "He's alright now. He'll probably be out for a while, though. His body definitely needs some rest."

I sighed in relief and relaxed.

"I told you he'd be okay," Rob said from beside me. "Your brother's a tough one." He paused as I turned to look at him, and then he gave me a lopsided smile. "Kinda like you."

I had the overwhelming urge to kiss him right then, but I didn't think it would be polite, in front of the nurse and all. I turned my attention back to her.

"Everything seems fine here. Your leg is doing well. So I believe you should be ready to leave soon."

I nodded, a smile coming to my face. Just the thought of getting out was great. I hate hospitals.

When the nurse left, Rob leaned over and kissed me. "You were let off easy. I had to stay two days."

I smiled innocently, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him down for more kisses.

And that was, conveniently (or inconveniently, as it was to me), when Towson walked in the room. Seeing that Rob and I were a little occupied, he said, "Oh! I'll just, um… you know, wait outside…"

Breaking away from Rob, I turned around to face the door as Towson was walking out. "Rich, wait." He turned around and looked at me. "It's okay. Come on in."

He smiled weakly and I could tell that he still wasn't over the fact that Rob and I were now together. I briefly wondered what happened with the blonde chick. Did he get a date with her, or what?

"Come on," I said, gesturing to the chair on the other side of the bed, "sit down."

He did so slowly. When he was fully seated, he asked me softly, "Are you okay?"

I smiled and nodded. "For the most part. The nurse said I'll be able to leave soon."

He nodded. "That's good. And your brother?"

I hesitated. I didn't know too much about my brother's condition, but I told Towson what I knew. "The nurse said he's okay. He just needs to rest."

He nodded again. "Good, good. I just…well, I came by to see how you were."

I heard Rob stand up on the other side of me. He walked around the bed and smiled at me when I looked at him. "I'm gonna go grab something to eat. I'll be back in a little bit."

I nodded and Rob left. Not really the most subtle way of leaving Rich and I alone, but I was grateful for it.

I sighed. Here comes the hard part. "Look, Rich…"

He held up his hand. "No, let me…let me say something first."

I nodded and he continued. "I'm really happy for you, Jess. I'm glad that things have worked out for you with him. I want you to know that I'm happy for you, though, okay? I don't want you thinking I'll always be hung up on you."

I half-smiled. I said, "I wouldn't flatter myself," which made Towson smile.

"I'll always be there for you, though, okay, Jess? If anything happens, just let me know and I'll be there."

It was a sweet thing to say, and I'm embarrassed to admit that it brought tears to my eyes. I leaned over and hugged him, surprising him. He hugged me back.

When I finally pulled back, I smiled warmly at him. "Thank you. You're a great friend, Rich, and a great partner. I just hope one day you get the girl you deserve."

He laughed. "Yeah, well, we'll see."

There was an awkward pause and then he said, "So I take it you're not going to be with us for much longer."

I shrugged. "I'm not too sure yet. But…I think I'm gonna stay here with Rob. And then I'll be close to my family."

He nodded and started to get up. He leaned over and hugged me again. "It was nice working with you, Mastriani."

"You too, Towson."

And then he walked out the door. It was only a few seconds later that Rob came back in, a small smile on his gorgeous face.

I looked at him and rolled my eyes. "What now?"

"Nothing," he said all innocently, coming and sitting down in the chair that Towson had just vacated.

I narrowed my eyes and was about to make some comment, when Jill and Allan walked in the room, followed by Krantz, who had something in his arms.

Then I realized that that 'something' was really a some_one_. That someone being my daughter.

"Mommy!" Kia ran over to me. Luckily she didn't jump on the bed, or that would have been a little bad, given my leg and all. She looked like she wanted to though. Jill must have scolded her about how to act in a hospital.

I smiled and lifted her off the ground, settling her on my lap. "Hi, Kia."

She brought her face really close to mine. "Are you okay, Mommy? Jilly said you had an accident." A prominent frown adorned her adorable face.

"I did, but I'll be better soon."

She seemed to accept this. She turned her attention to Rob, who was looking on amusedly. "Hi, Daddy," she said, which brought a smile to both mine and Rob's faces. She had only just met him yesterday and already she was calling him Daddy. It was good news.

Rob lifted her off my lap and set her in his. Kia seemed to like the attention. "And how is my baby girl this morning?"

Kia grinned. "Good!"

Rob ruffled her hair, which was so like his own. "That's good to hear."

Jill, Allan, and Krantz looked on at this heart-warming scene. They looked like they didn't want to interrupt, but I knew they had some news that I wanted to hear.

"What's up with you guys?"

Krantz took that as his cue and sat down on the other side of my bed. "I have great news for you, Jessica."

I nodded. "Go on."

"The handicap killer has been caught, thanks to you. While in interrogation, he confessed of his plans, and where the bodies of the other people he killed were. But," he continued, "we already knew that - again, thanks to you."

I smiled. Of course, thanks to me.

"It was interesting, what this man told us. How he was trying to generate a universal cure for all handicaps - mental and physical."

I nodded. "Yeah, he already pulled that on me, right before he lodged a scalpel in my leg. Do you really believe that?"

He nodded. "I do. But I also believe that this man lost his sanity years ago."

"That's apparent," I muttered. My leg could testify to that man's insanity.

"And," he continued, ignoring my comment, "he has managed to obtain a lawyer. Most likely, he will plead insanity in court."

I groaned. "What? What kind of person could defend a guy like that?"

"Someone who loves money more than morality."

I nodded. "This is true."

He looked like he wanted to say more, but just as he opened his mouth, the nurse came back in. She raised her eyebrows at the agents in the room, then she looked at me and said, "You're being released, honey. I'm assuming Mr. Wilkins will be taking you home?" She said the last part while glancing at Rob.

I looked at Rob and he nodded. "Yeah, she's coming with me."

Dr. Krantz got up from his seat, nodding at the nurse as she was leaving. I noticed, as she took another glance at me, that her face was red. I looked back at Dr. K, and he had a satisfied smile on his face.

Oh, my goodness. And this was happening in my _hospital room_.

Then I smiled. It was kind of cute, in a way. Even if the guy wears a pocket protector.

I managed to get out of the hospital bed without falling over. Actually, Rob pretty much picked me up and set me down on the ground. He was going to carry me the whole way, but I protested. I only had a scalpel in my leg. It's not like it was a butcher knife or something. Sure, it was a little sore, but as long as I didn't touch it, I could deal.

As I limped past Dr. Krantz, I whispered, so no one else could hear, "You gonna get her number?"

It was him who blushed that time. And he looked so cute - who would've thought I'd ever use that word concerning Cyrus? - standing there all embarrassed, even the bald spot - the rather _large_ one, at that - on the top of his head going red too.

I turned around at the door, waiting for Rob to get to me. Krantz was still a little red, but he was recovering. Jill and Allan looked about ready to leave themselves (and if I wasn't mistaken, they looked a little…cozy, I guess the word would be - so maybe something happened??). Rob was grinning at me, holding Kia in his arms.

Rob came over to me with Kia and pecked my lips, then lifted Kia up so she could give me a slobbery kiss on the cheek. We exited the room together, the agents following behind us, then leading us to an unmarked vehicle to take us back to Rob's place.

When we arrived there, Krantz told me that Towson would be over with my stuff in a little bit. By the time they left, Kia was bouncing off the walls. She wanted to do something, badly. I couldn't really run around with her, or anything. So Rob set her in front of the TV to watch. Finally she settled in with watching Dora the Explorer.

It wasn't too much later that Towson came over with my stuff, which included Chigger. I guess I never mentioned to Rob that I still had the dog, since he was pretty surprised to see the old dog.

And not surprisingly, he was the first person that Chigger ran toward, effectively knocking him over. Chigger was standing on Rob, licking his face like it was the last thing he'd ever do.

"Chigger!" I scolded. "Bad dog. Get off of him."

Chigger looked at me in the armchair, noticing my annoyance, and got down off of my boyfriend. I hobbled over to Rob to see if he was alright. He looked surprised to say the least, and I started laughing.

"That dog…" Rob said. There wasn't much else for him to add onto that sentence.

I covered my mouth with my hand, trying to stop myself from laughing, but it was too funny. Rob grimaced at me - obviously he didn't think it was funny.

"Jess?"

I turned around, still laughing, to face Towson. But when I saw the serious expression on his face, I stopped.

"What is it, Rich?"

"I, um…I gotta go. I have to, you know, meet somebody."

He looked so nervous, and I realized that he was going out on a date.

I smiled. "Well, thanks for your help. Have fun 'meeting' somebody."

He cracked a nervous smile and nodded. "Well, see ya," he said, and then he turned around and left.

When the door shut behind him, I looked back at Rob, who was regarding the situation with an amused look on his face. He was being a little cocky, considering his situation only moments ago.

He looked like he wanted to laugh, but didn't, probably figuring that Chigger would tackle him again. Chigger, though, was already sleeping on the couch beside Kia. She was petting him absently as she was watching the TV with rapt attention.

I turned back to Rob. His eyes skimmed over my body and then landed back on my own eyes. I smiled encouragingly at him and he closed the gap between us. I wrapped my arms around his neck, while his came around my waist, drawing me closer to him.

"Hmm," he said, his thumb trailing over my hip-bone. "What should we do now that you're home?"

I grinned, then leaned up and gave him a quick kiss. I pulled away and said, "Well, I think I'm due for a shower."

"Oh, yeah?" he said. "Mind if I join you?"

My grin turned lopsided. "I wouldn't, normally, but someone's gotta watch Kia."

He looked put out. "Hey," I said. "Having a kid isn't all fun and games, buddy."

He sighed. "Yeah, I know." Then he smirked. "You'll just have to take another shower later when she's sleeping."

I giggled. "Maybe. If I'm not too tired."

He dipped his head down close to mine, so his lips were almost touching my ear. "Well, you can take this to the bank, honey," he said gruffly. "You'll be exhausted by the time I'm finished with you."

I mock-gasped and slapped his chest. "Why, Mr. Wilkins!"

He just grinned down at me. "Oh, don't tell me you weren't thinking the same thing."

My wry smile proved that I was, indeed, thinking the same thing. So sue me. I'm a red-blooded woman.

Rob finally let me go and I sauntered (okay, limped) up to the shower. It took me a little longer than usual, but that was only because I was concentrating on not falling. I changed into some new clothes and went back downstairs.

I heard giggling and pleased laughter before I walked into the room. And then a full-fledged grin broke out on my face when I saw Rob lying on his back on the floor, tossing Kia up into the air and catching her. He kept doing that and I could tell both of them were having the time of their lives.

Kia spotted me first. "Mommy!" she squealed, when Rob started tickling her, having finished his tossing of her in the air. Rob's head whirled around and his gaze pinned me to the spot. He grinned at me and waved me over.

"Hey, Gorgeous," Rob said as I half-limped over to Kia and him. He stopped tickling Kia, but picked her up and walked over to me.

He set Kia down on the ground and she ran over to Chigger to wake him up. I watched her for a moment with a smile on my face and then turned my attention back to Rob.

"Who knew you'd be such a good dad?" I said, admiration for him seeping into my voice.

Rob could tell I was happy about it, but pretended to be offended. "You mean you thought I'd be horrible at it?"

"Where'd you get that idea?" I inquired innocently.

He laughed, wrapping his arms around me. We just stood like that for a few moments, my head resting on his chest and his chin resting on mine. Then Rob whispered in my ear, "Your dad called."

My head shot up. Luckily Rob must have anticipated this, because I barely missed cracking into his chin. "What?"

Seeing my alarm, his grip on me tightened and he said, "Easy. It's not bad. Douglas is awake."

"He is?" I asked hopefully.

Rob nodded and gave me a warm, encouraging smile. He loosened his arms around me slightly. "Yeah. Your dad told me to tell you that and that he wanted you to come over to the hospital. But he said to warn you that your mother's also there."

The side of my mouth quirked up. Ah, good ol' Dad. "I guess I gotta deal with her some time, huh?"

Rob nodded, but he didn't look happy about it. "I sure could do without it," he muttered.

"Hey, if I have to go through it, you do, too," I said.

He rolled his eyes. "The things I do for you…"

I wrinkled my nose at him and whacked him on the arm. His arms tightened around me and I melted into him again. I know I'll never take being in his arms for granted ever again. Losing that once and believing I'd never have it again made me realize that it was a precious thing.

So I told him the one thing that I always knew would be true, no matter what.

"I love you, Rob."

He looked down at me with a small but brilliant smile. "You know, I'm getting used to hearing you say that." Then he leaned down and gave a short but sweet kiss. "I love you, too."

****

- § -

"Get out of the car, Jess."

Rob's voice wasn't harsh, but it was firm. I think I was beginning to annoy him. I met his gaze with my own level one.

"I'm serious, Jess. This has to happen some time. If you don't get out, I'll remove you from it myself."

"You wouldn't," I said. It's not that I thought he wouldn't - I knew for a fact that he _would_; I was just challenging him

"Oh yeah?" he said, a smirk sliding onto his face like butter. "Watch me."

I didn't get to watch much. One second my butt was planted firmly in the seat of his truck, and then next, my face was smushed against his back. Not that I really minded that part. He had a nice, sexy back (no, that is _not_ a reference to Justin Timberlake), like every other part of his body.

I just put up a fight for the hell of it. "Rob! Put me down! I swear, I'll-"

He swung me back over his shoulder, instantly silencing me, and planted me firmly on the asphalt of the hospital parking lot. "You'll what?" he asked, now challenging me. This was what our flirting progressed to.

I walked over to him and whispered something in his ear that I won't repeat here.

Rob grinned when I backed away. "That doesn't seem like much of a punishment."

"You say that _now_." I walked the couple steps to where Kia was watching us curiously. I whisked her off her feet and settled her against my hip. She plopped her thumb in her mouth as if on command.

"Come _on,_ Daddy," Kia said around her thumb as I started walking away toward the entrance.

I heard the beep that indicated the alarm of the car was on, and then Rob was falling into step beside Kia and me.

"So how's this gonna work?" Rob asked me as we went around the revolving door.

The cold of the hospital immediately made goose bumps appear on my arms. Damn, I should have brought a sweatshirt. "Here," Rob said, noticing my arms, and handed me his leather jacket. He took Kia from me so I could put it on.

"Thanks," I said, sending him a small smile in return. He had put Kia on his shoulders, since her legs were still too tiny to wrap around his waist in a piggy-back ride.

"I'm thinking," I said in response to his earlier question, "that you and Kia stay out in the hall while I talk to everyone who's in the room. I'll get to the part where you and I are together and that we miraculously have a three year old daughter, though that part might be a little difficult. Anyway, I'll come and get you two when the time is right. Sound good?"

Rob chuckled in response. "You need to work on your planning skills."

"I'm gonna forget you said that."

He smiled innocently at me as we walked up to the reception desk. "Can I help you?" asked the nurse.

"Yeah. I'm looking for Douglas Mastriani."

She started typing on her computer. "Okay," she said after a few seconds. "He's on the third floor, room 309."

I nodded and said my thanks, and then we headed toward the elevator.

"Oooh, pretty buttons. Can I-?"

Rob and I both answered Kia's unfinished question with a 'no.' She pouted and didn't say anything the rest of the ride up. We got out of the elevator when it got to the third floor and headed toward 309.

We reached the door and I turned to Rob. "Here goes nothing," I muttered and he gave me an encouraging smile as I turned the knob and headed into the room.

No one even realized that I was there. I guess all that training has made me silent when entering a room.

I looked around and noted everyone that was there: Mom and Dad, Tasha, Mike with his arm around…Ruth (what happened while I was gone?), Skip was also there, not looking entirely happy, some people I recognized as Douglas's fellow employees at Underground Comix, some other random people that I had no idea who they were.

My little stealth episode didn't last as long as I'd have liked. Douglas saw me out of the corner of his eye, since he was awake, finally. His face brightened and he called out my name, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. Everyone turned toward me.

My dad smiled at me and I smiled shakily back at him. I said to Doug, "Way to sleep the day away, Sleeping Beauty." He grinned back at me.

And then I turned to my mom, who was looking at me like she'd seen a ghost. Huh. I guess no one _had_ mentioned my name, or that I had been involved with what happened to Douglas.

"_Jessica_?" came her incredulous voice.

I gave her the warmest smile I could muster, since inside I was shaking with fear. "Yeah, Mom, it's me."

"_Where have you been, young lady?!"_

Yeah, seriously. Like I got home a few hours past my curfew.

I took a deep breath and answered my mom, but not what she was asking me. "Look, Mom, I'm sorry. About everything. I know you guys worried about me. I know what I did wasn't the best thing to do, but I promise you that I had everyone's best interests in mind. There was…well, a lot going on at the time, and I just couldn't stay here. I'll explain it all later, okay? Right now…right now I just want to be here with everybody without yelling or crying or…whatever usually happens when I do something someone doesn't like. I'd like to be with my brother, who almost died in front of me last night." Noticing my mother's widened eyes (well, more widened then they were before I said that about Douglas), I said, "Yes, I was there last night. I got a scalpel in the leg because of it, hence my slight limp."

My mom's eyes, just like I expected, were filling up with tears. "Jessie…"

"No, Mom, please. Not right now. I promise I'll explain everything later. There's something more important that I have to tell you right now."

I looked at my dad and saw him nod at me. I looked at Ruth, who was still staring at me like I'd suddenly sprouted horns, and at Douglas who was looking at me with such admiration it made tears come to _my_ eyes.

"Mom, Dad, everyone, you remember my boyfriend back before I left? Rob Wilkins. Well, we've been seeing each other this past week and…well, we're back together."

I saw my Dad smile. "I knew you'd do the right thing, honey," he said to me softly.

I gave him a watery smile back. Damn these tears!

"Before I left, though, I…" I gulped. Here it goes. "I got pregnant." I turned my back on everyone' shocked gazes and gaping mouths and went to the door, peeking out and spotting Rob. "Come on in." He gave me a nervous smile that made me want to give him a huge hug.

Rob stepped into the room with Kia resting on his hip. I took Kia from him and held her next to me and said, "_This_ is my daughter, everyone. Her name is Kia."


	16. Blue Beauty

"You want one?"

I shake my head at Rob, signaling that I do not want a beer. He shrugs and shuts the refrigerator door, leaning back against it and giving me a smile. He pops the top of the aluminum can and takes a swig, then sets it down on the counter beside him.

Normally I'd probably take the beer. Okay, so I'm not exactly twenty-one yet. But I'm almost twenty. Hitting the two decade mark is a pretty big accomplishment, if I do say so myself. It's not like I'm a minor or anything. And I drink responsibly.

But I just refused it because…well, I think I might be pregnant. Again, yes I know. I haven't said anything to Rob yet, because I haven't had a chance to run out to the store and grab a home test. But just the thought of being pregnant has been making me anxious.

And yes, you would think I would have learned my lesson, to practice safe sex. And we _do_. But…there was one time last month where Rob and I, to be blunt, got it on, and I'm not sure whether we used a condom or not (more likely _not_), but I don't think he ever realized it. And I'm not about to tell him until I know for sure.

"What are you thinking about?"

I glance up to see Rob looking at me with an adorably crooked smile on his face.

"What?" I ask dumbly.

He laughs. "I said, what are you thinking about?"

Oh.

I shrug. "Nothing really. Just stuff…and you."

He laughs again, but this time it sounds more intimate. "Oh, really?" he asks, taking it as an invitation to come over to me. "What about me?"

He slides his arms around my waist, pulling me flush up against him. "Anything I should know about?"

I laugh, trying not to sounds nervous. But it doesn't really matter, because he lifts me up onto the counter and starts kissing me. He tastes like beer, but honestly, beer's never tasted so good before.

He groans into my mouth, stepping in between my legs. I can feel him, hard on my thigh, and it makes me want to kiss him like there's no tomorrow, to hold him and never let go. His hand slides down my side and rests on the small of my back, but then he pulls away and looks down at me.

"Damn," he says, breathless.

I look up at him, my eyelids feeling heavy with arousal. "What?"

"I wanted to show you something. I completely forgot." He looks like he's a little unhappy that he remembered.

"What?" I repeat. I'm not very wordy when I want him, and he knows that.

He laughs again, and it's a wonderful sound, something that I could listen to over and over again and never get sick of it. But maybe it's just me wanting him so badly.

"God," he says, leaning his forehead against mine. "I got so carried away. You know, with Kia not being here and everything. But there was something I wanted to show you, give to you."

I smile, my stomach feeling a little fuzzy. He got me a present? "What is it?"

He smiles, which makes him look even more gorgeous than he already is. "You'll see." He steps back from the counter, and it feels empty without him being there. "Follow me."

No need to tell me twice. I hop down from the counter and trail after him like a dog. Speaking of, Chigger saunters into the room, looks at us, and starts following behind us.

Rob looks back at me, knowing that I'm still horny as ever. "Don't worry," he says with a smirk, "we have all weekend. Your mom has her until Monday, remember?"

I nodded. He was right. My mom absolutely adores Kia, and Kia absolutely adores her back. I think if it wasn't for Kia, my mom might never have forgiven me for leaving home.

That day in Douglas's hospital room was the worst. Right after I announced that Kia was not only my daughter, but Rob's as well, the room went dead quiet. No one said anything, made a sound, or even blinked.

And then my dad, bless him, walked toward Rob and said, "May I?" gesturing toward Kia. Rob nodded and my dad plucked her out of his arms and held her at arms length.

"So," he said with a large grin, "you're my granddaughter."

Kia, who had been looking a little uncomfortable, grinned at that point. "And you're my grandpa?"

My dad laughed. "I sure am. I'm glad to finally meet you, Kia."

"It's good to meet you too, Grandpa." She then looked over at my mom and said, in her cute little kid voice, "And you're my grandma?"

Which just made my mother burst into tears. Kia looked sad too, like she thought it was her fault that my mom started crying.

"Yes, honey, that's your grandma." He looked over at me and smiled. "She's beautiful, Jess."

I nodded, tears in my eyes, threatening to spill over. Rob came beside me and slid his hand into mine and squeezed it. I looked up at him and he smiled at me, mouthing 'told ya so'. I smiled back at him, relieved, and the tears spilled over and onto my cheeks.

"Why are you crying, Mommy?" Kia asked, sounding upset.

I went over and gave her a kiss on the cheek and she wiped the tears off of mine. "They're happy tears, sweetie. I'm really, really happy."

Which made her smile. She had the best smile, once again something she took after Rob. Her smile encouraged me to get this done, and right. So I proceeded to introduce her to everyone individually, telling Kia who they were and what relation they were to me.

It wasn't long before everyone fell in love with her. She just had that charm about her, you know? And it didn't hurt that she was possibly the cutest thing I'd ever seen.

Everyone welcomed me back with open arms, including, to my surprise, my dear mother. I was accepted back, Rob was accepted as my boyfriend again, and Kia was accepted as my - no, _our_ - daughter.

My mother was still pissed at me, I could tell. But I think…well, I think she realized why I had to do it. Leave, I mean. Not just about Kia, either. She must have realized what it took for me to leave everyone I knew and loved and start over someplace new, and pregnant all the while.

I think my mother was finally beginning to understand me. And that was nothing short of a miracle. I believe I have Kia to thank for that.

Rob is right, though. My mom took Kia for the weekend. She knows that Rob and I haven't been able to get any alone time recently, so she offered to take Kia, under the pretence that she wanted to teach Kia how to bake. Which is a good cover, because God knows I can't. Bake, I mean.

Rob heads in the direction of the barn. He recently made some kind of hallway/tunnel thing that leads to the barn, so you don't have to go outside to get to the barn. You know, you can just open up this door and head down this hallway and, hey, you'll be in the barn. It's pretty cool, actually, the things he's done to this place since he bought it from his mother.

He opens the door at the end of the hall and shoos me in, shutting the door quietly behind us. I look around the barn, trying to see if anything looks different. But…no. There's a bunch of bikes that Rob's been fixing up - that's how he's been getting the money to fix the house up. But other than the bikes, there's nothing else that's different.

I look at Rob questioningly and he just grins. "No guesses? Come on, I figured you'd have a ton."

I roll my eyes and he laughs. "Okay, okay. Close your eyes."

I don't immediately. I look at him warily and he says, "Before I have to blindfold you." I sigh and close my eyes. "And no peaking."

I smile, with my eyes still closed. I feel Rob slip his hand into mine and then leads me a few feet and then stops. It sounds like he's pulling a tarp off of something and then, "You can open your eyes now."

So I do.

And I'm staring at THE most gorgeous Harley I've ever laid eyes on. I mean, it's…indescribably beautiful. The only thing I can describe is it's color, which is a sky blue. A name pops into my mind. 'Blue Beauty.'

Rob grins at my reaction. "You like it, huh?"

I look at him, feeling tears well in my eyes. "This is for me?" I ask stupidly.

He laughs. "Well, I wasn't going to give it to Kia. I think I should wait a few years."

I laugh and then give him a huge hug. "Oh, my God, Rob. It's gorgeous. Thank you _so_ much."

He hugs me back and just holds onto me for a little bit. He pulls away slightly and gives me a sweet, tender kiss. "Anything for you."

I smile up at him. "But what's the occasion?" I ask. Because it's not like it's my birthday or Christmas or anything. It's just…a plain old Tuesday in the middle of April.

Rob let's go of me and cocks his head toward the bike, completely ignoring my question. "You gonna get on, or what?"

I don't dwell on him not answering my question. I give him a giddy smile and hop on. And, holy lord, I can almost touch the ground. Now isn't _that_ a miracle.

I look up and Rob's grinning at me. He has a helmet in his hand and he hands it to me. I shove it on my head, just for show, because we're still in the barn and nowhere near the street.

I look back up at Rob, but I can't see anything through the helmet. Now this is odd. Maybe I put it on backwards?

But no, it feels right. What the fu…

I blink and try to read what's taped to the inside of the helmet, right in front of my eyes. It's so close that I can barely read it, but…

Oh, my God. No way. No _freaking _way.

__

Marry me?

That's what it says. I'm not kidding.

Rob's awfully quiet and I know that he knows that I saw it. Now what the fuck am I supposed to do?

__

Say yes, dumbass

.

Well, yeah. But…

I flip the visor up and look at him through the empty space. And then I give him a huge grin. Then I realize he can't see it and stop. "That was pretty creative."

He's looking at me warily. "Yeah…it took me a bit to think of it, but-"

"Yes," I say, even though my voice is kinda muffled from the helmet. "I will."

And then he grins too. "I was hoping you'd say that."

I laugh and hop off the bike. I run to go kiss him, but realize at the last minute that I still have the helmet on. I laugh again and take the helmet off and then give him a big smooch. And then we finish what we started in the kitchen.

Rob laughs as I'm sitting on his lap, in the barn, completely naked. His arms are around me and I can feel his breath on my neck as he laughs softly in my ear. "I didn't even get a chance to put the ring on your finger."

I take my head from where it's positioned on his shoulder and lift it so I'm looking into his face. And I laugh, too, because the fact that I forgot about a ring is hilarious. Isn't that the point of being proposed to?

Rob reaches over on the table we're sitting on and grabs something out of his pocket. His hand is completely surrounding it, so I can't see what it is - but I'm assuming it's a ring.

Rob looks down into my face and gives me an amused smile. "Close your eyes again."

I do so obediently. I feel Rob take my hand in his and then slip a ring onto my finger. And then I feel his breath on my ear as he whispers, "Open your eyes."

I do and look down at my hand. And gasp. Because it is the most perfect ring I could ever imagine ever receiving. Actually, more perfect, because I could never imagine ever getting a ring that infallible. It's simple and I love it. No over gaudy rock-the-size-of-Texas that could blind you for life. It's just a small diamond set in a simple gold band.

I look up at Rob and he's watching me critically, like he doesn't know what to expect. I feel the tears in my eyes spill over and I throw my arms around him. "Oh, Rob," I say, "it's beautiful. It's absolutely perfect."

He laughs, but it's more of a relieved one. "I'm glad you like it." He hugs me back, but then loosens his arms around me so he can kiss me. "I love you," he breathes against my lips.

And then I realize…well, maybe it _is_ possible to get that happily ever after.

**Yes, this is the end. But I hope you all think its a good end. I thought so when I was writing it, and that's pretty major - you know, for me to think that it was good since I usually have my doubts.**

**Anyway, drop a review, please. Let me know what you think of this chapter and/or the whole story. And thanks to all of you who stuck by me on this story and all of my others.**


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